


Queen

by Beatonen



Category: RWBY
Genre: Arranged Marriage, F/F, Monarchy, Semblances exists, Weiss once again the useless lesbian, and she's supposed to lead a kingdom!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 20:48:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 54,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28909587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beatonen/pseuds/Beatonen
Summary: Leader of the kingdom of Atlas for only a few years, Weiss needs an alliance to solidify her position on the throne, and with her neighbour the king of Vale, they strike a deal.If only Weiss knew she was about to marry the prettiest woman of Remnant, she could have prepared herself a little better.
Relationships: Weiss Schnee/Yang Xiao Long
Comments: 16
Kudos: 90





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Heeeeeeeyyyy again!! Who wants ANOTHER story of Weiss' incredibly soft and gay heart for Yang?? ME!
> 
> Also there is smut towards the end, because I can.
> 
> Have fun! <3

Sitting in her throne and listening with one ear to the complaints of the lone man in front of her, Weiss Schnee couldn’t help but fidget in anticipation, thinking back to the letter she had her courier ride in a blizzard to deliver. Her reign was just starting over the kingdom of Atlas, but she knew many threats hung over her head, and after the mutiny she had suffered two days after she was crowned ruler of the kingdom, she could use a little bit of good news.

To secure her place on the throne, Weiss decided to marry, hoping to form an alliance with one of the neighboring kingdoms, South-East of Atlas. Weiss had received a positive letter from the King of Vale, promising his eldest daughter’s hand to secure peace.

Weiss was silently grateful for it. She had noticed the rising tension between their borders, and a war so soon after starting her reign was the last thing she wanted. If brokering peace was an option offered, then she would gladly oblige.

Still, Weiss drummed her fingers distractedly against the arm of the throne, her mind away and wondering when her surely soon-to-be wife would arrive. Of course, everything was ready to welcome her and her court, had been the second she had read the letter, and yet…

Weiss hoped she knew her name. Wished she had met the King of Vale too, one time, to at least get an idea of what his daughter would look like.

A discreet rustling to her left indicated that her spy was back, and Weiss glanced to that side, recognising instantly the bowing black head, with two tall, feline ears standing amidst raven hair. Gesturing with her fingers, Weiss allowed the spy to speak, and Weiss met her amber eyes shortly before Blake leaned over to whisper in her ear.

“The Vale court just entered the gates, my liege.”

Bolting upright in her throne like she was struck by lightning, Weiss nodded to Blake, the spy bowing again before disappearing in the shadow of the throne. Weiss smiled for a second, remembering when the two had met as children, where Blake had very nearly split open her head with a stick when Weiss had just run away from the castle.

They were together ever since, helping each other through hardship, and while Weiss would take the brunt of a blow, Blake would be the blade that emerges from the shadows. Her spy had been instrumental in keeping her throne, when the mutiny started, and was also her most trusted friend.

Still, Weiss didn’t forget the news Blake had brought her, and while she had waited for it, she couldn’t quite believe they were _already_ here. Weiss had yet to deliver judgment to the man and his plea in front of her, that she barely remembered. She made quick work of it, and her decision made all parties smile in relief, so she thought it a job well done.

By the time it took them to clear the throne room, Weiss saw Blake enter the room again, but this time by the large double doors on the other side of the throne, waiting in the shadows of it, just in case something happened. Weiss’ guts twisted in anxious knots, knowing that the Vale court was just about to make an appearance.

Weiss gestured for the translator she had called, weeks prior upon receiving Vale’s letter. She knew their tongues were vastly different, but she wanted to understand them, and them to understand her.

At last, a maid announced the Vale court in Valese, and Weiss let the translator speak in her ear as she watched them enter the throne room, but soon stood when a woman, tall and broad, a healthy tan on her skin that stood out in the pale green dress she was wearing, bowed her head in direction of the throne, a small, thin crown catching the light in the woman’s blonde hair.

Weiss made her way closer, slowly climbing down the several steps separating the floor with her throne, and it was only when they were face-to-face that Weiss realised the princess was a good head taller than her, and her eyes were the most magnificent lilac she had ever seen, as they stared at her cautiously, if a bit curious.

Speechless for a moment in front of her beauty, Weiss shook herself into motion, bowing deeply from the waist if only to express just how glad she was for her presence.

As she straightened her back to look at the woman once again, Weiss spoke clearly, knowing the translator wasn’t far.

“I didn’t want to disrespect my soon-to-be wife by greeting her from my throne,” she smiled, hoping her nerves didn’t show.

Much, much too late, Weiss noticed a tall man standing next to the princess as the translator did his work, repeated what she had said in Valese, and Weiss felt beads of sweat forming on her forehead when she noted the full crown amidst the man’s short, blond hair as his blue eyes observed her with amusement. Still, as the translator finished, it created a murmur of confusion in the Vale court, and the King spoke shortly to the translator, his brows furrowed slightly.

Swallowing thickly as she couldn’t understand all the King said but confident she had caught the gist of it, Weiss still waited on the translator, who shifted in place uncomfortably.

“They believed you a man, my liege,” the man all but mumbled, clasping his hands on the small of his back.

Still, Weiss tilted her head to the side, confused too.

“Why would they think so?”

“I believe your title got lost in translation, my liege,” the translator explained shortly. “There is no gender for ‘the ruler of Atlas’.”

“Hm. Well, my title doesn’t need gender,” Weiss spoke clearly, standing straight and glaring back at the rest of her court, steeling her features. “I _am_ the ruler of Atlas!”

Her words elicited a cheer amongst her guards and knights, and it made her relax slightly, noticing that Blake had joined them too. Still, when she returned her attention on the King of Vale and the princess, she could see the concern on their faces, see the personal guards of the Vale court uneasy, their hands resting on the hilt of their swords. Upon realising her mistake, Weiss bowed her head in apology, offering her arm to the princess elegantly.

“Apologies if I surprised you,” Weiss spoke in what she hoped good enough Valese, knowing her accent must be atrocious but pride swelling in her chest when she saw the genuine surprise on the princess’ face. “Let me make it up to you.”

“You speak Valese?” The princess finally spoke, her voice deeper than she had expected and the words flowed from her pink lips smoothly, and Weiss couldn’t imagine this voice speaking a word in harsh and unforgiving Atlesian.

Still, the princess had taken her arm lightly, her hand resting on Weiss’ arm daintily, and she felt its warmth seeping through her sleeve as Weiss slowly started away, knowing the princess’ court would follow.

“I tried learning as much as I could, ever since I received your father’s letter,” Weiss explained, speaking slowly and with effort, applying herself. “I gathered you would like it if we spoke in your tongue, since you will be so far from home.”

“That’s… very thoughtful of you,” the princess dipped her head, grateful, and it made Weiss smile, perking up.

“I also apologise for not inquiring your name earlier,” Weiss added, lightly touching the hand on her arm. “Your beauty made me forget my manners.”

It made the princess chuckle nonetheless, and she glanced at her shortly, a genuine smile pulling her lips that made Weiss’ heart flutter in her chest, sending her nerves alight more efficiently than any gut wound ever would.

“My name is Yang,” the princess quietly let out, sounding almost embarrassed by the attention.

“Yang,” Weiss repeated, hoping she pronounced it right. “My name is Weiss, but that, you already knew.” Taking a step back to create distance between them, Weiss still held Yang’s hand before bowing at the waist, folding an arm in front of her with her fingers touching over her heart. “It is an honor to meet you. If there ever is something amiss, tell me, and I will provide.”

Weiss had rehearsed those words for weeks, trying to say them right, and she was glad to see how it created a smile not just on Yang’s lips, but in the king’s face as well. As she returned by the princess’ side, Weiss gestured for the translator, knowing that her still very meager knowledge of Valese wouldn’t be enough to hold a proper conversation as she led them to their quarters, knowing they had a long travel behind them. Discreetly, she brushed aside the help of a servant, as she wanted to be as gracious a host as she could.

****

A feast was prepared in the King of Vale’s honor, and even though her kingdom was one of snow and ice, Weiss was satisfied to see it so bountiful, enough food to feed an army and then some, and she looked over the table, sipping her already fifth glass of warm wine to settle her nerves.

Her eyes drifted once again to the Vale court, seeing the King enjoying himself as he was talking with one of her dignitaries with the translator’s help. She had heard about the man in the past, knew he was a kind and just ruler of his kingdom, and to see him so at ease, sitting in a foreign land, talking with people who didn’t even spoke his tongue…

Weiss sometimes wished she could be as carefree. Then, her eyes turned to the princess by his side, and Weiss felt her heart stop for a second when their eyes met.

Earlier that day, Weiss had discussed with the king, Taiyang, about their alliance. Trading routes were secured, which relieved her immensely. During the harshest winters, provisions could be scarce, even for the ruler of Atlas. The King had assured that her being a woman didn’t bother him in the least, on the contrary, and that made her wonder what he had meant.

So, in two days’ time, the wedding would take place. Weiss couldn’t put into words how she felt about it. She was equal parts excited and terrified, even though she believed the scales tipped a little more towards the latter. She shortly wondered if Yang had agreed to this wedding, or if she was simply doing it out of duty. She knew how it felt, to simply live your life out of duty.

Her fears settled slightly when Yang smiled, and she responded in kind, rising her glass with their eyes still locked. She made a mental note to spend more time alone with her soon-to-be before the wedding, if the king allowed it, of course.

She was surprised to see Yang raise her glass too, and together, they downed their drinks, and Weiss wasn’t sure if the quiet buzz coursing through her veins was only caused by the alcohol.

Her attention was drawn away when her cup was filled again, and Weiss sighed contentedly, once again eying the table and was satisfied to see everyone having a good time. But one empty seat made her frown, not far from her on her left.

A hand falling on her shoulders answered the question at to why this seat was empty, and she smiled up at Blake, who was presently accepting another healthy service of wine.

“So how does it feel to know the mighty Weiss Schnee will be married in just a few days?” Her spy said, squeezing her shoulder gently.

“Ugh,” Weiss sat back in her seat, swirling the wine in her cup. “All kinds of terrified, I’m afraid.”

“Hm,” Blake crouched beside her, before sending a not-so-subtle glance in Yang’s direction. “So, what do you think? The princess is prettier than I wished her to be.”

“You wished the woman I was to marry was pretty?” Weiss snorted, rolling her eyes. “How thoughtful of you.”

“I know what you like, Weiss, don’t forget that,” the spy chuckled, mirth dancing in her amber eyes. “And this princess is _everything_ you like.”

“How could you possibly know that?” She frowned, now curious as she turned a little more to Blake.

Now it was Blake’s turn to roll her eyes, shaking her head.

“Did you forget I grew up in Vale, before I landed here? I listened to the court when they talked about her. Apparently, she’s unmatched in combat.”

It made her blink before she realised something, slapping the spy’s arm and eliciting a quiet yelp in return.

“Why didn’t you tell me you knew Valese? I could have learned from you!”

“I’m not a teacher,” the spy only retorted back, rubbing her arm. “Besides,” Blake continued, waggling her eyebrows suggestively. “Maybe you’ll learn more quickly if you have her _tongue_ in your mouth.”

Feeling her face burning all the way to the roots of her hair, Weiss pushed Blake aside and made her tumble mercilessly as the spy only laughed heartily, joined by a few of her own court that heard the conversation. When she noticed it had earned the attention of the last person she wanted to look her way right now, Weiss resisted the urge to sink under the table, instead tried to hide behind her hand.

“That’s right!” One of her knights exclaimed, and stout woman with ginger hair and bright turquoise eyes, slamming her fist on the table. “We all know our liege had much too many lonely nights by how grumpy she is in the morning!”

“Nora,” another knight sighed beside the ginger-haired woman, a quiet man that originally hailed from another kingdom. “Sit down.”

“But you know it’s true, Ren!”

Another round of raucous laughter shook the table, and she knew without needing to look that the teasing was being translated to the Vale court, fueling her embarrassment even more, and what was even more embarrassing was that she couldn’t even find what to _say_ to shut them up.

Still, as the laughter died down, Weiss felt that once again Blake heaved a hand on her shoulder, and just as she was about to shrug her away to hiss something to make her go away, she saw the genuine fondness in her amber eyes, before Blake looked up and across the table, towards the Vale court.

“I know this isn’t the wedding feast, but I want to say something,” the spy spoke clearly even though there was the noticeable drawl of someone who drank a bit too much, but it still easily caught the attention of the room as her words were being translated to the king and princess. “This woman might be our ruler now, but once upon a time, she was a child, with enough senses to accept someone like _me_ despite what she had been told. Even young, she fought for what she thought was right. I saw all of her hardship, all of the hurt and pain in her life, I was by her side through it all and I always will, because she is my best friend first, my sister-in-arms.”

A somber silence hovered over the table as emotion made Blake’s voice tremble towards the end, and Weiss looked up at her, seeing the spy blinking her amber eyes, and she patted Blake’s hand before squeezing her wrist, wordlessly accepting the obvious affection.

“So I will ask but a single thing of you, princess Yang Xiao Long from the Kingdom of Vale,” Blake continued after clearing her throat, raising her glass in the princess’ direction, holding the lilac eyes when Yang recognised her name. “I want you to make my best friend happy. Because she deserves it more than she ever will think she does.”

A loud cheer made her jump in surprise, most of her knights and court raising their glasses in synch and in a thunderous clamor, all wished a happy marriage to their liege… Which she was grateful for, but thought was so entirely unnecessary and embarrassing.

So once again Weiss was hiding behind her hand, not knowing if she will ever have the courage to look Yang in the eyes ever again, and while she did, downed her cup of wine in one go, creating another round of laughter.

The rest of the night was spent like this, with endless teasing thrown her way and Weiss only enduring it with wine, until she finally excused herself to her chambers, stumbling on her own feet as she did.

Weiss made sure to go over to the Vale court to apologise for the teasing of her spy and knights, but only made the king laugh heartily when she very nearly fell on her face as she bowed. Some part of her mind feared that he would think her unworthy of her crown by acting like this, unworthy of his daughter, but he simply helped her on her feet with a fatherly smile, and Weiss nearly cried at the sight.

Her own father never was one to her, only a ruthless and cruel tormentor pilling over a tyrant…

Blake crashing into her pulled her from her morose thoughts, and Taiyang made sure they both were able to stand before letting go, and with one last wave and a drawled wish for them to have a good night, her spy escorted her to her chamber, both of them stumbling in the hallway and drunkenly giggling as they did.

Finally, they both fell in Weiss’ bed, and she didn’t remember doing anything else, closing her eyes on the spinning room without much care, her ears suddenly deaf to the world around her as she fell in a dreamless slumber.

****

When she woke up, the first thing Weiss did was groan, barely able to drag a hand up to hold her head together that was surely about to split open if she let go. A similar groan sounded close to her, and cracking a single eye open, saw Blake beside her, tiredly rubbing her eyes.

“I’m never drinking again,” Weiss muttered, snapping her eye shut.

It made Blake snort, but it was soon followed by another grunt of pain and a sigh.

“You always say that,” the spy retorted back. “Let’s go get breakfast, then a spar.”

“A spar?” Weiss whined, turning to burry her face in her pillow. “I can barely stand without my head exploding!”

“This will be good for us, come on,” Blake grumbled with effort, slowly sitting on the bed and repeatedly nudging her side.

They dragged their feet back to the dining room, meeting a handful more unlucky souls with headaches and tired eyes in search of relief, and amongst those early risers was the princess herself. When she stopped dead in her tracks while the blonde princess still had her back to them, Weiss was acutely aware of her poor appearance, and that she was wearing the same thing as the night before.

Blake clapped a hand on her shoulder with a wink before making her way directly to Yang, and Weiss felt her eyes bulging out of her head, desperately trying to catch Blake’s arm to stop her.

She couldn’t even _describe_ how insulted she felt when her hand closed on Blake’s arm, before realising it was one of her spy’s shadows.

“Hi, princess,” Blake greeted Yang in Valese, surprising the blonde out of her thoughts it seemed. “I’m sorry if I put you on the spot, last night. I was… not myself.”

If it bothered Yang, the princess didn’t say anything as she simply laughed, brushing Blake’s words aside with an easy hand. “It’s fine. I thought it endearing how you obviously care for your queen.”

“Yes, well. I appreciate her by default; she saved my life more times than I can count,” the spy winked at the blonde, making her chuckle again, before Blake gestured for Weiss to join them. “Here she is!”

Begrudgingly joining them now that Blake had ratted her presence out, Weiss tried a smile to the princess, who returned it instantly. Contrary to the day before, Yang looked more relaxed and at ease now, and even though it was apparent that the princess had a short night too, Weiss was still left breathless for a second at the sight of her future wife.

“G-good morning,” Weiss stammered lamely, looking away with a small blush coloring her cheeks.

Cursing internally as Weiss was too tired to gather herself enough to appear as confident as she did the day before, she couldn’t help but elbow Blake harshly in the ribs when she heard her snicker, but her annoyance was short lived and disappeared as soon as Yang greeted her, somewhat relieved to understand that Yang was just as nervous as her.

As Blake was content to converse with Yang, Weiss was definitely not in the mood, preferring chewing slowly on her food as she listened to the conversation in Valese beside her, trying to understand what was being said. Soon, Weiss felt leagues better, and even though she hoped for a light spar, she was ready for one.

Weiss told so to her spy, and Blake stood slowly with a sigh, muttering something about going to fetch their weapons and joining her in the sparring room. As she agreed, Weiss noticed how Yang was now poking a piece of bread, and it made her pause, thinking back to what Blake had told her about the princess.

Searching for the right words in Valese, Weiss swallowed thickly, hesitating for a second before lightly touching Yang’s shoulder, easily catching her attention.

“Would you want to come along?”

Instantly, the blonde jumped to her feet that betrayed her agility, a large smile pulling her pretty pink lips and her lilac eyes sparkling.

“Yes!”

It was just one word, but Yang had said it in Atlesian, and… Weiss clacked her mouth shut, staring at Yang with wide eyes as her cheeks slowly but surely grew red and warm, and Weiss felt a strange tension thrumming just under her skin. She was sure she was vibrating in place if someone looked long enough.

Still, her reaction didn’t go unnoticed, as the smile on Yang’s lips grew crooked, her chin lifting just a little almost cockily.

****

Shedding her jacket to stand in her sleeveless dress, Weiss rolled her shoulders as she stretched, and she noticed Blake doing the same, bending down by the waist and easily touching her toes. On her side of the room, Yang had tied her hair back, and Weiss had averted her eyes with a blush when Yang had shed most of her clothing, the thought scandalous.

Only to realise a moment later that Yang was wearing loose shorts that stopped just above her knees, and a tight, fitting fabric that constricted her chest, but didn’t look uncomfortable. Weiss had wondered why the princess needed that much mobility, until she noticed Yang’s weapons as the princess closed them around her wrists.

And she watched in awe as Yang stretched her arms up and over her head, and Weiss could see the shifting muscles across the princess’ back as the fabric only covered her down to her ribs. And the power of her shoulders when she sent a couple jabs in front of her, and Weiss noticed the curve of her biceps each time the princess drew her fists back, and could guess the powerful thighs hidden under the shorts as Yang jumped around effortlessly, before kicking the air high in front of her.

A nudge to her side brought her back to reality, and Blake was there, sending her a knowing wink before her spy leaned over, whispering in her ear in Atlesian.

“Told you,” was the only thing Blake said.

It was only now that Weiss realised, she had been nothing short of ogling her future wife, and another bright blush colored her cheeks as she pushed Blake away, trying to collect herself.

Then, like the traitor she was and being all the more smug about it, Blake switched to Valese, gesturing for Yang to come closer.

“How about you two go first? After all, you should get properly acquainted before getting married, right?”

Glaring daggers at her spy, Weiss still caught her rapier in mid-air as Blake threw it to her, slashing the air in front of her a few times to get used to the new weight, but her arm was used to it, her fingers finding the familiar grooves in the handle. Weiss hadn’t seen much use for it ever since the mutiny except for the odd spars, but always felt complete with her rapier in hand. Without it, she felt unbalanced, like a piece of her was missing.

Taking a second to stare at the narrow blade, sliding two fingers on the side of it, Weiss forgot about her surroundings for a moment as she remembered how many battles this blade had seen, how much blood had wetted it… it even tasted her father’s blood to his last drop.

A lot of death was on her hands, but for the previous ruler of Atlas, she felt no remorse whatsoever. He deserved a death much more painful, if she was being honest.

A flash of pain brought her attention back as she let out a quiet hiss, watching with disinterest a drop of blood form on the tip of her finger that had been too close to the sharp edge of the blade. Bringing her finger to her mouth, she quietly marveled that her rapier was still so sharp.

“Weiss?”

Looking up when she heard her name spoken with concern, Weiss suddenly slammed back on track, realising that it wasn’t the first time Blake had called her when she saw her stepping closer, and before she could say something to reassure her best friend, Blake gently wrapped her arms around her, hugging her gently.

“I’m okay,” Weiss still murmured against Blake’s shoulder, accepting the affection and loosely wrapping her free arm around the spy, patting her back shortly.

“We don’t need to spar if you don’t want to,” Yang spoke gently, her voice sounding closer than Weiss thought.

“Really, it’s fine,” Weiss assured again, pulling away from Blake with one last squeeze. “Blake is just being emotional.” She had said the first thing in Valese, and the other in Atlesian, pulling her tongue at her spy.

And Blake, with all the maturity she could muster, pulled her tongue at her in the same way, and it made Yang chuckle lightly to see them being so childish with each other, but her lilac eyes still turned to Weiss, asking without words, and in this moment, she could see that Yang understood.

Weiss understood that Yang had her demons too.

But she still dipped her head graciously. Weiss _did_ want to spar with Yang, if only to see what kind of fighter she was.

With a nod, Yang stepped away and shook both her arms with energy, before jerking her wrists to the side, and a series of clicks and clanking sounded as the yellow bracers around her wrists expended to cover most of her forearms and her hands, and Yang was jumping from one foot to the other before slamming both fists together, signaling that she was ready. Weiss on her side, placed her right hand against the small of her back, pointing her rapier towards her opponent, and gave a short nod, signaling that she was ready too.

“Fight!” Blake shouted, declaring this spar stared.

Instantly, Yang hunkered down, raising her fists in a defensive position as the blonde slowly started to the side, but she didn’t take the bait. Yang wanted for them to circle each other, but Weiss knew that if they were both in movement, Yang had the advantage.

When Weiss stayed still, Yang started the other way, and Weiss only observed her carefully, and she blinked.

For Yang being a close-combat fighter like her, Weiss should have known better.

In the half-second it took for her to blink, Yang had jumped forward and was throwing a jab with the speed of lightning, and Weiss barely had the time to jump aside, but the mistake was already made. Yang sent a couple more jabs her way, keeping the pressure, and Weiss only dodged, sometimes by a hair, but ultimately remained unscathed. A shift in Yang’s posture made her tense, automatically raising her blade up as the hair at the base of her neck raised on end, her senses blaring alarms.

At the last second, Yang changed her footing, throwing a heavy left that Weiss parried with a groan, amazed by the power of the hit, and before she knew it, an equally powerful kick caught her in the ribs from the left.

Somersaulting back under the next jab to create much needed distance for her to catch her breath, Weiss caught the small, cocky smile on Yang’s lips, and she had half a mind to roll her eyes. If Yang thought she was done with just that, Weiss would have died in battle a long time ago.

Now, it was her turn to surprise the princess, she couldn’t help but smirk at the thought.

Taking in a sharp breath, Weiss flicked her wrist, the tip of her blade sliding in an arc in front of her and drawing Yang’s attention to it, effectively distracting her from the bright glyphs blossoming all around her, and without warning, Weiss took off.

With the help of a glyph, she bounded towards Yang, blade first, who instantly raised her fists to protect her face, and without surprise the rapier slid harmlessly against the armor plating covering Yang’s arms, but with this Weiss flipped, landing her feet on the waiting glyph on the other side of the blonde. When their eyes met again, it was her turn to smile cockily when Yang realised she was surrounded by them.

Still, the princess blocked every attack, and she was jumping from the third glyph when Yang, instead of rising her arms to protect herself, raised them high over her head and jumped to the side, and for the space of a heartbeat Weiss felt her heart stop when she saw the narrow blade graze the smooth skin of the princess’ stomach…

But she came back to present when an iron grip closed around her ankle, and she let out a yelp when she was projected back with force, but Weiss rolled on her shoulder and was back on her feet in no time.

Instantly, Yang was in her face, already rearing her right fist back, and this time Yang had learned her lesson: the blonde princess followed her step to step. Whenever Weiss tried to jump back, Yang closed the distance. If she jumped to the side, so did Yang, always welcoming her attempts of escape with a flurry of blows that Weiss was starting to have trouble dealing with.

Still, she had to give credit where credit was due: Yang’s stamina was formidable. The power of her punches was even greater, even after all this time, same for the blonde’s speed, but even if Weiss started to feel an ache of fatigue between her shoulder blades, she was far from done.

Crouching under Yang’s heavy left, rolling on the side to avoid a kick, Weiss swiftly jumped in the air, visibly surprising Yang when she slammed both feet right in Yang’s sternum and pushed back as hard as she could, a black glyph spinning under her feet adding power to the hit. Both were projected back by the blow, but they were back on their feet in a blink.

Once again Yang tried her heavy left, and this time Weiss barely moved away, the power of the blow creating a gust of wind strong enough to blow her hair back as she pushed it away with her right arm, and swiftly shifting the rapier in her hand for the blade to be towards the ground, Weiss was about to drive the hilt just under Yang’s last rib when Yang hooked their ankles together and pulled sharply enough to make them tumble to the ground.

So Weiss found herself pinned under Yang, silently glad that she had turned her weapon upside down when the hilt was pressing surely painfully right where she wanted it, under Yang’s last rib, and the tall blonde groaned as she moved over her.

A smile pulled Weiss’ lips, about to claim her victory, but she saw the way Yang winked at her at the same time she felt something nudge her side, and when she looked down, she realised Yang did pretty much the same she did.

Because normally, Yang would have crushed her sternum with her knee, the hit powerful enough that it created a small crater in the ground, ruining the floor under Yang’s knee.

When their eyes met again, Weiss laughed breathlessly, thumping her head back as she drew back her weapon.

“Let’s call it a draw, shall we?”

A soft frown touched Yang’s features as the princess sent a glance towards Blake, who had spent this whole time leaned against the wall to watch the spar, and translated quickly for Yang, the blonde instantly nodding with a laugh. Then, the princess stood on her knees over her, offering a hand to help her sit.

It was almost in a trance that Weiss accepted it, speechless in front of the effortless beauty the princess had about her, even if her tied-back hair was a frizzled mess and she was covered in sweat, in this moment under the shy sunlight, Yang was molded in bronze, and she was the most magnificent sight Weiss had ever seen.

Blake was right, Weiss realised with a thick swallow as her eyes trailed down Yang’s powerful neck, noticing a stray strand of hair sticking to it absentmindedly. So far, Yang ticked all of her metaphorical boxes.

Once again, Weiss’ attention didn’t go unnoticed as another cocky smile grew on Yang’s lips, and when Yang winked Weiss felt her entire face burning in embarrassment, darting her eyes away immediately and earning a quiet, throaty chuckle from her future wife.

The sound alone sent shivers down her spine, and suddenly she felt so incredibly hot under the collar.

“See? You two don’t need to speak the same language to flirt!”

Blake spoke in Valese, and Weiss understood enough to glare daggers at her supposedly best friend while Yang laughed heartily.

****

Later that day, after they rested from their spar, Weiss had asked Yang’s father if it was alright for her to show Yang around the castle, just the two of them, and the king only said that if it was alright with Yang, Weiss didn’t need to ask for his permission. And so, Weiss asked Yang, and the princess accepted.

So they were walking the empty halls of the castle at a leisure pace, Weiss with both her hands behind her back and hoping her small knowledge of Valese would be enough to hold a conversation. For now, they had exhausted every subject of small talk on the way there, and Weiss was racking her brain to find something to say, far too nervous to think of something simple.

They were passing in front of the only real window of the castle, a tall and large glass overlooking the frozen lands surrounding the castle when the tiny gasp Yang let out caught her attention, and she saw that the blonde had stopped there, turned to the window.

Standing by her side, Weiss observed the land for a moment, noticing the wind blowing with force outside and, by the look of the sky, maybe another snowstorm would hit in an hour or two.

“Does it always snow, here?” Yang asked, quietly.

“We do have a lot of snow around this time of year,” Weiss conceded, dipping her head. “But we have one, maybe two months of thaw. The land… changes at that time. It’s beautiful.”

A soft hum was Yang’s answer, and Weiss felt her shoulders droop slightly, knowing that for an outsider, this land didn’t sound hospitable at all. Even more when one came from Vale; Weiss could remember reading about the kingdom’s plentiful fauna and flora.

“But… I’m sure it’s more beautiful in Vale.”

Yang sent a smile her way before returning her attention outside, and Weiss pointed to the gathering clouds in the sky, drawing Yang’s stare there wordlessly.

“You’re sure?” The princess continued their conversation, frowning at the clouds. “Didn’t you know? You are royalty, you must have traveled before.”

“No,” Weiss grimaced, lowering her eyes to the windowsill and frowning at the dust she could see gathered there. “Never. I barely got beyond the castle’s gates, whenever I wasn’t out with the rest of the army.”

“Really?” Yang sounded genuinely surprised, turning all her attention on her instead. “Why?”

Well, they were going to marry the next day, and even if Weiss didn’t tell Yang now, it would come out eventually. But Weiss preferred Yang knew from her, instead of someone else that might be biased.

“I was not supposed to rule,” Weiss smiled sadly. “My older sister was supposed to, so she got to travel, she was groomed to one day rule over Atlas. But five years ago, Father exiled her.”

“What? Why?”

Releasing a quiet sigh as Weiss gestured for them to start walking again, if only to distract her a little from the conversation, she thought for a moment to what she could say to explain the situation.

“My father was a bad ruler,” Weiss said simply, her knowledge of Valese not allowing for more. “He was a… bad man. He took power for his own gain, his own benefits and no one else, not even his children. Five years ago, my sister spoke out of turn to him, trying to make him see that he was making Atlas poorer by the seasons. So he tried to, um…”

Frowning for a second as she searched for the word in Valese, Weiss kept drumming her fingers to her forehead, mumbling under her breath.

“When a child is bad,” Weiss suddenly let out in Valese, turning to Yang for help.

“I don’t think a child _can_ be bad, though,” Yang furrowed her brows unhelpfully. “Maybe they simply don’t know what they’re doing.”

“It was simply an example,” Weiss signed, abandoning. “Anyway, Father was not happy with Winter, so he hurt her.”

“He hurt your sister?” Yang gasped in horror, her eyes widening.

Clearly, it was not the way for the King of Vale, Weiss thought bitterly, hating how unfazed she was about it by now. That wasn’t normal. It never was. It took some time, and Blake’s help, for her to realise completely the gravity of her father’s action towards his family.

“Yes,” Weiss continued nonetheless, keeping her eyes to the ground in front of her, steeling her features. “But Winter defended herself, proving that she was no longer under his control. So Father exiled her.”

A silence answered her, and Weiss didn’t find the courage to glance to the side to see Yang’s face right now, the weight of her stare on her enough to guess the kind of look danced in those pretty lilac eyes. Still, Weiss squared her shoulders, curling her hands against the small of her back and toyed with her fingers, scratching the skin around her nail in a nervous habit.

“The duty of heir fell to me, in that moment,” Weiss continued quietly, keeping the same leisure pace and glad that Yang did the same. “I was not blind, either. Like Winter, I knew Father was leading the kingdom to ruin for nothing. So I spoke out of turn, too.”

“Did he hurt you?”

Weiss almost sighed at the sound of Yang’s voice, so tight and burning with righteous fury. But she was long past those sentiment towards her father, now. She knew what he did. It haunted her at least once a day, even now.

“Yes,” Weiss answered simply, still not looking Yang’s way. “It was the last time he did.”

Slowing her strides, Weiss sighed again as she nibbled at her lip, wondering if it was wise to tell Yang the whole story. But she had promised herself to tell whoever she was marrying the whole story, for them to at least know what they were getting into, and… And Weiss didn’t want to lie. Even lies of omissions.

“Yang, I…” This time stopping and glad that Yang did the same, Weiss swallowed as she shifted, suddenly riddled with nerves. Would Yang think differently of her? Would she refuse to marry someone like her, if she told her the whole story? “I did not become the ruler of Atlas because my father made me. I took the throne from him. I… killed him.”

“It was a fair fight,” Weiss quickly added, for her not to think she did him dirty. “But… Even though I don’t feel pride when I look back at it, I _know_ it had to be done. Everyone knew he was going mad, he was a growing danger and I wasn’t about to let him starve our people because he wanted more. I couldn’t stand by anymore. I…” Weiss paused for a moment, taking a sharp breath in to steel her nerves. “I did what I had to do to save my people, and I would do it again.”

The dam was broken, now, and the words flew from her mouth without her really knowing, her knowledge of Valese greater than she gave herself credit for, Weiss thought distractedly. She had never told anyone, because everyone knew, here.

“When I took the throne, there was a mutiny,” Weiss continued, staring at nothing in particular, somewhere between her and the wall beside Yang’s skirt, noting somewhere in the back of her mind that it was made of silk. “Some of my father’s personal guards called me the Usurper, said I was not worthy of the throne. They tried to overthrow me. Good knights died that day trying to speak for me. I had to fight again, to protect my place on the throne. I knew most of them for all my life, and suddenly… my blade was wet with their blood.”

A trembling breath escaped her lips as she sunk her nails in the flesh of her hands, the brief flash of pain keeping her from delving too deeply in the memories, and she cleared her throat quietly, furrowing her brows.

“I did what I had to do,” Weiss spoke softly, the emotion aggravating her already clipped accent. “I hope I am a better ruler than my father. I hope I make a difference for my people. I aim to be a good spouse. But I am not a good person. And I am sorry if you were forced into this situation.”

To be entirely honest, Weiss didn’t really know what she expected from Yang after telling her the whole story. She didn’t know if she preferred for Yang to yell at her, if she wanted Yang to tell her how horrible she was, to cancel the wedding and leave to never be seen again, which would be fair in her opinion. Or if she wanted Yang to comfort her and tell her… Weiss didn’t know what she wanted to hear. Didn’t know if she deserved any good outcome from this.

So lost in thoughts, Weiss jumped out of her skin when, even though the touch was light and delicate, Yang gently wrapped a hand around her arm, just like it would if Weiss had offered it, and the princess gently encouraged Weiss to start walking again, at a leisure pace. For a moment, the sound of their steps filled the silence, and Weiss let it, shadows dancing at the edge of her mind distracting her.

“You said it yourself,” Yang finally let out when they arrived at the bottom of a staircase. “You did what you had to do. I’m not here to judge, and I can’t say I would have done better if I was in your place. But I appreciate you telling me.”

“You had a right to know what you were getting into,” Weiss mumbled, silently glad for the comfort of Yang’s touch as they slowly climbed up to the upper floor.

“Do you have any idea where you sister might be?”

Even more glad for the change of subject, Weiss felt herself steadier than earlier, her breaths fuller and her strides more confidant, and she found a little of that strength in the way she raised her head to hold it high, the way she squared her shoulders. She had handled an impossible situation as best she could, and there was nothing more she could do about it now. There was no use to dwell on it.

“I don’t,” Weiss sighed quietly. “I’m not sure if she heard about the change of leadership, from wherever she is.”

“Hm… Maybe she’s further south?” Yang mused, a soft frown twisting her features. “We heard about it in Vale.”

“I just hope she is alright,” she sighed again, pushing the thought aside. Too many nights she had laid awake in bed, wondering if her sister would look down on her for what she did. “Do you have siblings?”

Instantly, a large, radiant smile blossomed on the princess’ lips, and suddenly, the darkened hallway looked so much brighter than a second ago, and just the sight of it soothed her mind, her own lips pulling in a small, soft smile.

“Yes, a younger sister, Ruby,” Yang looked so obviously proud when she said her name, and Weiss knew she would listen to everything the blonde was about to say. “She’s actually taking care of the kingdom in our absence with our uncle.”

“Ruby,” Weiss repeated softly. “Will you tell me more about her?”

“She’s a genius,” Yang started with energy, pulling Weiss closer like a second thought. “Did you know she created a new irrigation system that is easily ten times more efficient than the one we had before? She’s always spending all her time in town, helping where she can, and sometimes she gets in trouble but…”

As Yang rambled on, Weiss was simply content to listen, a smile on her lips as she admired the way her lilac eyes were shining, how obviously proud of her sister she was and how happy the simple thought of her made Yang, and once again, Weiss was speechless in front of the effortless beauty of Yang. If she had to say something about it, it was that Yang invented the word, was the incarnation of it, its meaning given life.

In less than twenty-four hours, Yang would be her wife. Life was funny like that, sometimes.

She was abruptly brought back to reality when the beaming smile on Yang’s lips faltered, the shine in her eyes dimmed and the broad shoulders drooped as Yang sighed, and it made Weiss perk in alarm, wondering what had caused such displeasure and ready to righten it in a heartbeat.

“I’m going to miss her so much,” Yang murmured, her features softening in sadness. “We always were together, she was always following me around, and now…”

The see Yang genuinely sad about this made painful twist in Weiss’ guts, and she was quick to press a hand over Yang’s, offering a soft squeeze as she did.

“You sister will always be welcome to visit,” Weiss spoke quietly, in the same way as Yang. “I would love to meet her, one day.”

“I’ll be sure to tell her,” Yang smiled, grateful. “Along with all the things I’ll tell her about you.”

It made Weiss groan with a grimace, looking away as Yang chuckled quietly, and Weiss turned her attention to the dining room they could see, for the second floor was overlooking the dining room and the ballroom.

“Only good things, I hope.”

“You didn’t give me any reason to do otherwise,” Yang retorted playfully, before waving at King Taiyang downstairs, the man waving back instantly. “With your position and you being so young, I expected an arrogant young man who thought everything he wanted would be laid down at his feet. Imagine my surprise when I came face-to-face with the exact contrary!”

Letting out a non-comital hum, Weiss kept her attention at the buzzing activity when they were overlooking the ballroom, servants coming and going for the wedding that was coming much faster than Weiss was ever ready for.

“If anything, you could make me learn a thing or two about responsibility,” Yang continued, suddenly somber and so serious, now. “I… don’t really know why I accepted your offer, when my dad told us about it. I guess I just wanted to get out of Vale, to do something new in another kingdom, to just… go on an adventure, I guess.”

“But what if I had been an arrogant young man who would have refused to let you do anything?” Weiss instantly frowned, turning to Yang.

She was even more confused when Yang, without a care in the world, simply shrugged her shoulders.

“I guess I wouldn’t listen. What can you do, lock me up in our bedroom?” huffing with a roll of her eyes, Yang waved a hand in front of her, and Weiss followed it with her eyes.

“Yes,” she still countered firmly. “I could order the guards to not let you leave. Put barres on the windows. Reinforce the doors, in case you have the funny idea to simply ram through.”

“Oh…” Yang’s frame deflated slightly at that, and it made Weiss shake her head slightly. “I didn’t think of that…”

“I figured.”

“I never thought I would be fit to rule, you know,” the princess continued after a beat of silence, and Weiss could understand the sentiment. She, too, never thought herself fit to lead her people. “I remember being bored out of my mind whenever Dad made me sit with him, talking politics and truces with other kingdoms, and hearing the folks out whenever there’s a disagreement… I agree it’s important, and someone have to look over them, but… Ruby will be a better fit for Vale, anyway.”

“So you thought… marriage?” Weiss asked, dubious.

“Well, now that you say it like that…”

An adorable pout twisted Yang’s face and Weiss couldn’t help but chuckle, turning her eyes in front of her.

“As I already take care of the kingdom, you thought you wouldn’t have to, right?”

“I know it’s not that simple,” Yang argued, throwing a hand in the air. “But a girl can dream, right?”

“Now that I think about it,” Weiss started after a moment of silence, easily earning Yang’s attention. “I take my duties far too seriously, or at least, that’s what Blake always tells me. Could I count on you to take my mind off things, sometimes?”

It made Yang huff, a cornered smile pulling her lips, but the blonde still dipped her head elegantly.

“Of course. You may also seek counsel from me,” the princess added, playfully somberly.

“Are you a good judge of character?”

“Yes, I’d say I’m a good judge of character, generally speaking.”

“Good. I tend to expect the worst out of people.”

“Then we have a deal?”

Making them stop, Weiss took a moment to look up at Yang, seeing the playful wink the blonde gave her, and she smiled, bowing elegantly in front of her future wife.

“We have a deal.”

“I do believe you will be a good spouse, you know.”

Snapping her head up to look at the princess, Weiss blinked, surprised, and Yang gestured at her, before waving at their surroundings.

“Even before this,” Yang assured.

Preferring not to answer, Weiss simply hummed, nodding, before gesturing to the stairs leading down to the ground floor, silently inciting Yang to walk again. They started again slowly, Yang’s hand still resting casually in the crook of Weiss’ arm as if it was the most natural thing to do, and both of them seemed to be thoughtful, lost in thoughts, until something came to Weiss’ mind, making her perk her head.

“Do you think you will regret marrying me?”

It earned Yang’s attention, the blonde blinking, and Weiss gestured vaguely in front of her, embarrassed by being so nosy.

“I-instead of going on some grand adventure, I mean,” she was quick to add, feeling a bit of warmth on her cheeks.

With a smile that made Weiss trip on her own feet and making Yang laugh, the princess shook her head confidently, her eyes once again finding that shine that she lacked earlier, and Weiss could say with certainty that they were the most precious gems the world ever held.

“No, I’m sure I won’t regret it.”

Sure that her heart was about to beat out of her chest, Weiss nodded tightly, clearing her throat as she felt suddenly very hot under the collar.

“Then I will make sure you don’t regret it.”

Another beaming smile answered her, and this time, Weiss very nearly tripped down the stairs, so entranced by the sight that she stopped looking where she was going.

****

This was definitely the longest day of her life.

All of which she could have lived through without Blake’s endless teasing.

She hadn’t been able to sleep that night, floating on a delightful cloud after spending such a wonderful evening with Yang, then remembering that the wedding would be held the next day, and what would _entail_ said wedding the following night. It made her sit up in bed in a panic, before she threw herself out of it to stand in front of the full-length mirror in her room, letting the light of the fire in the hearth send shadows across her nightwear.

Pinching her lips, Weiss then had slipped of her nightgown to stare at herself for a moment, taking a sharp breath in as she did. Already she could see a couple scars catching the fire’s light, disturbing the smooth line of her thighs or her arms, the jagged gash on her shoulder, and that was without the ones on her back that she couldn’t see. Some of those were caused by battles, others by an unforgiving hand.

Never before she had been ashamed of those marks. She remembered some nights, when Weiss and Blake had one too many drinks and would share stories with a couple of her knights, when Weiss had pointed at each one of them and explained how the battle raging around her had been so intense that she had only felt a graze at the time, only to find out later it was much more serious than that. She remembered being proud of them, taking strength in them. Because Weiss had survived them.

Now, thought? Weiss wondered if Yang would find her attractive, with her body marred like this. Would Yang even want to spend the night with her, like the marriage demanded?

She wondered shortly if Yang would even want to sleep in the same bed.

The maids found Weiss in the morning, dressed again but curled up on top of the covers on the bed, and completely uncooperative to start the preparations of the day. Weiss had been so very close to end the deal, to send someone to the king of Vale to tell him to pack his things and leave with his infuriatingly and unfairly beautiful, perfect daughter.

Weiss had been difficult all morning until someone had the presence of mind to get some help, which, in this case, came in the form of Blake.

The day came and went without Weiss knowing, so riddled with nerves that she spent it in a haze, and now she found herself sitting at the center of the table with Yang by her side, sitting on her right, the banquet well underway, and she was amazed by the festivities and the loud, cheerful ambiance of the room.

Still, when she heard Yang laughing beside her, the bundle of nerves that had taken residence in her stomach came back with a vengeance, and Weiss reached for her cup of wine, hoping to sooth it a little as she downed it in one go.

“Don’t drink too much, now,” Weiss heard Blake whisper nearby, and she hear the smirk in her voice. “I’m sure you don’t want to disappoint the princess tonight.”

Glaring daggers at the spy sitting on her left, she only saw Blake hiding in her own cup, waggling her eyebrows suggestively as if the room wasn’t filled to the brim with people that could have easily heard what Blake had said. And before Weiss could dryly tell her spy to shut her mouth if she didn’t have anything better to say, she heard the howling of the nearby knights that were much too friendly with her, Weiss thought with regret.

As it was well into the evening, Weiss found it acceptable to leave now, but before standing she leaned a little to her right, and upon sensing her into her space, Yang turned to her, attentive.

“I am all partied out,” Weiss told Yang, and she hoped it was discreetly. “Are you partied out too?”

With a smile, Yang nodded, before downing her cup of wine too, and Weiss offered her hand, the princess taking it a second later.

Goodness, what was she saying? Yang was her _wife_ , now.

“Please, ignore what will follow.”

As Yang stared at her curiously, Weiss steeled her features and stood, standing as straight as she could as she wished a good night to everyone, and Weiss felt her eye twitch when the answering thunder of fists slamming tables and deafening whistles was the only thing that could be heard, she was sure, all across the castle. And just as they were about to exit the room, several howling followed them in the hallway.

Yang kept laughing with each salacious howl and whistle, not bothered in the least apparently while Weiss could feel the stares like cold daggers pressing against her back, beads of sweat forming on her temples. Her only thoughts, right now, was the same sentence repeated over and over again, directed at the hand that was delicately holding Yang’s.

_Please don’t be clammy please don’t be clammy please don’t be clammy please-_

“Nervous?” Yang spoke suddenly, her voice quiet.

Turning to Yang like a child with the hand in the cookie jar, Weiss stared, wide-eyed, at the blonde, internally cursing her clammy hand.

“N-no,” Weiss blurted out nonetheless, sounding anything but assured.

Still, it made Yang chuckle quietly, warmly, and she squeezed Weiss’ hand for a second, reassuring.

“It’s okay,” the blonde murmured, glancing her way with a wink. “I’m nervous too.”

She didn’t know if she was glad or if she was even more stressed with this knowledge, but Weiss kept her mouth shut, silently guiding Yang to her chambers, and she invited Yang to enter it silently, hoping she wouldn’t faint as soon as she was inside.

Still, after Weiss closed the door and turned towards Yang, discreetly wiping her clammy hands on her skirt, she watched as the blonde stepped deeper in the room, her lilac eyes glancing around.

“I thought your room would be bigger,” Yang commented distractedly, running the tips of her fingers along the edge of the four-poster bed, feeling the woodwork.

“D-do you want it to be bigger?” Weiss asked nervously, toying with her fingers as she stayed in front of the door. “I didn’t take the royal chambers because I did not need all that space, but if you want-”

“No no, it’s fine!” Yang assured hastily, turning around to face Weiss again. “It’s… cozy.”

“Cozy?” Weiss repeated, unsure if she knew what this word meant in Valese.

“It’s nice, small but comfortable.”

“It’s a good thing?”

“It is,” Yang nodded with a soft laugh.

Nodding, Weiss fell silent again, still toying with her fingers, and she saw Yang fidgeting with the cuff of her sleeve, discreetly, the blonde too unable to hide her nervousness, and for a moment they both stood there, in an increasingly awkward silence.

Maybe Weiss should tell her she would sleep on the floor. It was probably better this way, anyway, and nobody wouldn’t know any better.

As she was about to speak up, gathering her courage with both hands, Weiss saw Yang sit on the edge of the bed, and locking their eyes together, patted the space beside her for Weiss to join her.

Weiss wasn’t sure if there was another time in her life that she felt this stressed before. Not even when she faced her own father she felt as scared as she did now.

Still, Weiss didn’t ignore Yang’s invitation as rigidly made her way closer, and sat on the edge of the bed, leaving a considerable amount of space between them still, and she could feel the weight of Yang’s stare on her. She was sure the blonde could see her heart about to burst out of her chest.

“We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” Yang spoke quietly, and there was a touch of disappointment in her voice that irked Weiss much more than she cared to admit.

Turning like a brick towards her new wife, Weiss saw the discreet sigh Yang let out as her lilac eyes took in the space between them before looking away, and she noticed the way her broad shoulders dropped just slightly. The realisation that Yang was _disappointed_ that Weiss wasn’t initiating the expected closeness, or that she looked like she didn’t want to altogether…

She was mortified.

“It’s not that I don’t want to,” Weiss mumbled, her cheeks burning in embarrassment as she picked at her nails again.

Seemingly understanding, Yang nodded with a quiet hum, before shifting beside her, closing the distance between them and once again, Weiss felt a wave of heat burning her entire face, resisting the urge of moving away. And when, delicately, Yang sat a hand on her knee, she almost felt her soul leave her body as its warmth seeped through her clothes.

“How about we start at the beginning?” Yang playfully winked, offering a warm, if a bit tense, smile. “Let me…”

Slowly, to give her time to back away if she so choose to, Yang leaned over, locking their eyes together, and Weiss held her breath when they were only inches apart, swallowing nervously the dryness of her mouth. Then, delicately, their lips brushed together, and Weiss could swear her heart was about to burst when, angling her head, Yang pressed their lips together again, the touch firmer, now.

Weiss raised a shy hand, touching with the tips of her fingers Yang’s cheek when she chased after the blonde, craving the soft touch already, and she could feel Yang smile against her, pressing just a little closer with one of her hands settling on Weiss’ waist. The heat seeped through her clothes as a hot breath against her lips made her shiver, and Weiss felt her entire being… thrumming with an energy that she had never felt before.

Her skin sparked with fire everywhere Yang touched, and Weiss’ head spun wildly when those soft lips left hers, only to travel along her jaw and down her neck, peppering soft kisses with every inch they travelled. Weiss had never felt this way before, and she knew, in that moment, that she would let Yang do whatever she wanted with her.

As long as it felt so incredibly divine…

“Your heart is pounding,” Yang commented quietly against the hollow of her throat, nosing about Weiss’ collar and trying to tug it open.

It took a moment for Weiss to gather herself enough to understand what Yang had said, for a moment forgetting all she had learned in Valese, until she was suddenly slammed back on track when she felt Yang, with a quiet and victorious cheer, finally tug free the tie holding the collar of her shirt closed with the clear intension of opening it and explore further. But Weiss, entirely on instinct, grabbed both of Yang’s hands tightly and visibly surprised her.

Upon realising how tightly she was holding Yang’s hands, Weiss released them instantly, a quiet apology on her lips, but the blonde shook her head, a gentle smile on her lips.

“It’s okay,” Yang murmured, staying close and locking their eyes together again. “I should have told you what I was going for. So how about this,” the blonde continued, gently moving to take her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I tell you what I’m about to do, and you tell me if it’s okay, if you want me to slow down, or if you want me to stop.”

In the following silence, Yang brought Weiss’ hand to her lips and gently kissed her knuckles before lowering it again, running her thumb along her finger, and visibly waited on Weiss to proceed. While Weiss was glad for the thought, she was immensely embarrassed by the need of all this, and she shrunk under Yang’s stare, avoiding her stare.

“How about we get out of those tight clothes first? I know I’ll be more comfortable in my night shirt.”

Averting her eyes with a light blush, Weiss still nodded, suddenly speechless at the thought of Yang changing in the same room as her. She had the presence of mind to turn away though, offering her back to the blonde as she, too, started to strip her clothes only to trade them for her night shirt. It was loose on her shoulders, and the fabric was soft against her skin as it fell all the way down to her knees.

Weiss was toying with a fraying seam on the cuff of her sleeve when a soft clear of throat caught her attention, and she cautiously turned around, noticing that Yang was sitting once again on the edge of the bed, the beautiful dress she was wearing earlier now laying in a heap on the floor, and Weiss wondered how she managed to get out of it alone.

Still, before she could voice her thoughts, Yang gestured for her to come closer, and she did, but before she could sit beside her again, the blonde stopped her, and their eyes met again as Weiss stood in front of her.

“Do you mind if I let your hair down?” Yang gestured shortly to her still tied-up hair. “I never saw you with your hair down.”

“Alright.”

Turning her back to her and feeling Yang’s hands resting on her waist to pull her closer, Weiss felt her heart thumping in her chest when she realised she was standing between the blonde’s legs, feeling their warmth and solidity on each side of her, and knew that Yang only had to reach up a little to be able to unclasp the hair-tie, delicately pulling it free.

A second later, Weiss felt her hair tumbling free against her back, and she couldn’t help the sigh of relief when Yang delicately threaded her fingers through it, gently massaging her scalp where her hair had been pulled taught.

“I never imagined your hair would be so long!” Yang quietly marveled behind her, never stopping her gentle touches. “You always wear them in tight braids and buns…”

Groaning for only answer and making Yang laugh as she did, Weiss all but melted between the blonde’s hands as the massaging continued, lowering to her neck and those strong fingers skilfully untangled the tight muscles there, and even if Weiss was muttering praises in Atlesian, Yang could hear the tone and guess what it meant as it made her chuckle.

Still, when Yang’s hands rested on her shoulders and offered a gentle squeeze, Weiss turned around, letting Yang’s hands falling to her waist. A moment of silence surrounded them as their eyes locked again, and Weiss could only count her stars for Yang’s patience and understanding.

As Yang offered a smile, Weiss responded in kind, and hesitated only for a second before raising her hand, letting the back of her fingers brush against Yang’s cheek, and she swallowed when she saw the blonde lean into the touch. Cupping her cheek, Weiss decided to lean over, and kiss those soft, pink lips that had been driving her crazy earlier.

With a quiet, appreciative hum, Yang pulled her slightly closer, and Weiss could feel the soft heat emanating from the blonde, and once again it felt alluring as she brought her free hand to touch Yang’s neck, if only to occupy it, and despite the soft touch, she could feel the strong beat of Yang’s heart.

“Can I kiss your neck?” Yang murmured against her lips, her hot breath sending shivers down her spine and creating tension in her stomach. “I noticed earlier that you liked it.”

“Your lips are soft,” Weiss instantly offered her neck, closing her eyes as soon as she felt the press of a kiss.

“Not just my lips are soft,” the blonde chuckled in the crook of her neck, and Weiss felt goosebumps rise along her skin, caused by the implication of what Yang was saying and by the hot breath against her ear.

She could guess what Yang was talking about when she pulled Weiss closer again, and another groan left her lips along with a quiet curse in Atlesian when indeed, Yang’s curves were soft against her.

“You’re going to be the death of me,” Weiss breathed out in a breathless chuckle, sliding both hands in the river of gold that was Yang’s flowing, wild mane.

“Didn’t quite catch that, but I can guess the meaning,” Yang laughed softly.

Weiss wordlessly guided Yang on the other side of her neck, and the blonde was happy to oblige, her hands curling around Weiss’ waist as if she was holding them back from roaming across her body. And, gathering her courage with both hands, Weiss bowed her head to whisper in Yang’s ear, her lips brushing it.

“You can touch me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Tell me if I do something wrong?” Yang whispered, pulling away slightly to better look at her.

“I will.”

Nodding, Yang delicately kissed her again, and Weiss felt the blonde’s thumbs drawing circles over her shirt, and it was only when Weiss relaxed in the kiss that those large hands moved from their spot, slowly drifting down to encircle her hips and paused there for a moment. As Yang’s mouth traveled to her neck again, the large hands slid lower again, finally trading the soft fabric of the shirt for Weiss’ skin.

Instantly, she tensed with a gasp, and Yang let her hands rest there, flat against Weiss’ thighs and barely under the shirt as the blonde didn’t stop kissing along her neck softly, waiting for her word before moving any further. Exhaling through her nose in a long breath, Weiss forced herself to relax, knowing that Yang wouldn’t hurt her.

“Keep going,” she muttered under her breath.

So, agonisingly slowly, Yang’s hands climbed her sides, slowly but surely feeling her thighs, and if she noticed the scars on the way, the blonde didn’t say nor did she stop over them, and Weiss tried to focus on their warmth, on the feel of them, and they kept to her sides, never leaving this path until told otherwise. It was only when they were starting to climb past her hips, starting the curve of her waist that the earlier panic came back, and Weiss swiftly wrapped her hands around Yang’s wrists.

“Wait,” she let out in a tight, strangled voice, but she didn’t pull Yang’s hands away. “Wait.”

“It’s okay,” Yang spoke softly, calmly, her hands unmoving under Weiss’. “Take all the time you need. We can stop too, if you want.”

“N-no, I don’t want to stop,” Weiss grumbled as she closed her eyes, burying her face in the blonde’s neck. “I have to get past this eventually.”

Humming quietly, Yang nodded in understanding, and she simply held Weiss against her.

“As I said, take all the time you need,” the blonde reminded in her ear.

Quietly laughing in Yang’s ear, Weiss relaxed slightly, one hand returning in the blonde’s hair to gently hug her.

“Thank you,” she breathed, endlessly grateful.

“Can I kiss you again? I like kissing you.”

“Really?” Weiss blinked in surprise as she pulled back.

“Mhm,” Yang smiled, before leaning over to peck her lips shortly. “Your lips are soft.”

It made her snort as she rolled her eyes, but Yang’s smile inched larger as they kissed again, and the hand resting on Yang’s wrist relaxed gradually but did not yet leave, and in this moment, Weiss couldn’t care less. If she could spend the rest of her life right here, kissing Yang, she would consider herself the luckiest woman that ever lived.

Finally, Weiss’ hand left Yang’s, and Weiss murmured against Yang’s lips, telling her that she could go on. And slowly, Yang did, carefully.

But this time, the anxiety was manageable, and Weiss dived her hand in Yang’s hair when the blonde’s lips traveled to her neck again and she couldn’t help the sharp intake of air when she felt the soft lips close just at the juncture of her jaw and neck, followed by the wet and warm touch of Yang’s tongue there, just at the same time as Yang’s hands encircled her breasts, testing the boundaries.

A trembling breath escaped her lips when a brave thumb followed the curve of her breast and teased the hardened nipple with the pad of the thumb, but it was enough to send a jolt to every nerve-ending she had, stoking the heat in the pit of her stomach back to life.

Seemingly pleased with the reaction, Yang shifted, and this time it was Yang’s hand that moved, cupping her breast and squeezed. It wasn’t hard, not enough to be painful, but just enough for Weiss to feel weak in the knees, for her to grasp Yang’s shoulders to stay upright with a breathless moan.

An interested hum vibrated against Weiss’ neck, both of Yang’s hands moving to cup her breasts, and she couldn’t help the shiver shaking her at the feel of those big, incredibly warm hands against her cool skin. It was already dizzying in itself to feel someone touching her like this, to allow such intimacy from someone else, but it completely blew her mind when, after a hearty squeeze that made Weiss lose her breath, Yang rolled her nipples between her fingers.

“You okay over there?” Weiss heard Yang’s voice in her ear, low and husky, and it sent another shiver down her spine.

Wordlessly nodding as Weiss clung to Yang as if her life depended on it, it only made the blonde chuckle throatily, nosing the underside of her jaw and peppering light kisses as she did.

“If you want, I could take your shirt off and kiss you there…”

Adding another squeeze to her breasts that made her clung to Yang again, the blonde closed her lips on a patch of skin on her neck and sucked, before teasing the spot with her tongue as if to set an example to what she would do, Weiss couldn’t help the quiet moan once again slipping past her lips. It already felt amazing with just Yang’s hands, if it was Yang’s soft lips there, kissing and teasing the skin of her chest…

It took her all but three seconds to take a decision, her spiraling mind unable to focus on any of the bad outcomes she had thought about the night before, and she simply gave Yang a nod before letting the blonde help her pull the shirt off of her.

Discarding the shirt to the side without a care, Weiss swallowed nervously when Yang took a second to look at her, stark naked in front of her, and she only had the time to notice Yang’s eyes taking a shade darker before their lips met again, and Weiss relaxed in it, letting her eyes slid close.

A soft gasp made Yang pause when, once again, the blonde’s hands touched her waist and Weiss tensed, but Yang kissed her again, waiting on her to continue. And when Weiss finally did, the blonde let one of her hands slid to Weiss’ back and pressed on it gently, guiding her to straddle one of Yang’s thighs.

As Weiss gasped when Yang pressed her leg right against her core and sending a wave of pure heat through her entire body, the large hand didn’t leave the small of her back just as Yang kissed the hollow of her throat, before slowly making her way down.

It was all so intense, Weiss couldn’t focus on anything as her head was spiraling, and it was all so much better than in the rare occasions she had touched herself, during lonely nights, it was almost overwhelming, and she could feel the tension coiling in the pit of her stomach. As Yang’s lips closed around a nipple, Weiss threw her head back, letting Yang pull her closer as her hips rolled against Yang’s thigh.

“Yang…”

Purring the name as she curled her hand in the blonde’s hair to try and find a bit of stability as Weiss felt lighter than ever, she realised that her hips rolled in a rhythm, one dictated by Yang’s hands as the other one was clutching her hip, making Weiss ground harder against her, and Weiss gasped, knowing that something was going to happen as she felt the tension coiling even more.

Yang growled against her, grazing her teeth against her sensitive skin as she made Weiss grind faster on her thigh, and suddenly, the coil snapped.

With a wave of white-hot pleasure coursing through her veins, Weiss buried her face in Yang’s hair with loud, unrestrained moans, letting Yang guide her hips as she only melted between her hands, simply doing her best to stay upright as uncontrollable shivers shook her entire being.

Soon, they stopped moving, and Weiss was simply content to be held, basking in Yang’s warmth and the nice, comfortable haze that made her feel so incredibly light.

Still, she slowly came down from her high when Yang kissed her shoulder, chuckling quietly against it.

“Already?” The blonde winked when Weiss looked down at her curiously. “That was fast.”

The words took a moment to register, and then for Weiss to grasp its meaning, but when she did, she felt her eyes widening along with her cheeks burning in embarrassment. And when Yang laughed at this, Weiss pressed her hands against her face, and hid somewhere Yang couldn’t see her: in the crook of Yang’s neck.

“I’m sorry!”

“Don’t be sorry!” Yang laughed again, simply wrapping her arms around her to hug her tightly. “If anything, I’m flattered.”

Weiss froze at that, turning her head slightly towards the voice.

“Really?”

“Yeah! It’s the first time it only takes five minutes!”

Feeling another wave of embarrassment burn her entire face, Weiss suddenly perked up, something Yang had said sounding odd to her, and she slowly straightened her back, side-eying her new wife.

“This isn’t your first time?” Weiss asked carefully.

Instantly, all the smugness about Yang vanished and a flash of remorse passed in her lilac eyes, worry darkening her face.

“Oh, I, um… I guess I should have told you before but, uh, no, this isn’t… It isn’t my first time.”

“Oh.”

Somehow, Weiss knew it shouldn’t have surprised her. Yang was stunningly gorgeous, and she knew it. She could have anyone she wants. And of course she did, probably just for the thrill of it. Weiss simply didn’t know what to think of it. She just wished Yang had told her.

“Are you angry?”

Snapping her head up at the sound of Yang’s voice, Weiss couldn’t quite believe how small it was, how Yang hung her head in shame, but before she could say something, the blonde spoke again, refusing to meet her eyes.

“I’m sorry, I… I really should have told you, I mean we’re… We’re married, now, and you- you’ve been so nice to me ever since I got here, and…” Yang ran an agitated hand in her hair, and Weiss felt her heart sink when she saw the way Yang’s shoulders drooped in sync with a sigh. “I’m so sorry. We’re just married and I… I blew it.”

“It’s… fine,” Weiss finally said, crossing her arms over her chest as she suddenly realised just how _naked_ she was. “I don’t really mind. But,” she paused, waiting for Yang to look up for their eyes to meet before she continued. “We _are_ married, now. I realise that it may be a bit lax in Vale, that things might be different between our kingdoms and customs, and I won’t expect anything you are not willing to do from you. But I expect that, at least.”

“Of course!” Yang instantly perked up, pressing her hands on her thighs and squeezing “I’m your wife, and the only bed I’m going to visit is yours.”

A strange sensation raised goosebumps across her skin at the words, and Weiss blinked, swallowing thickly.

“C-could you say that again?”

“…The only bed I’m going to visit is yours?”

“The other thing.”

“Oh.” Yang blinked, before a soft smile spread on her lips, and the blonde squeezed Weiss’ thighs again, gently. “I’m your wife.”

“And I cannot believe it!” Weiss completed, slowly uncrossing her arms to press her cool hands against her own warm cheeks, but it still made Yang laugh softly again. “How could I be so lucky? You are the only thing that is truly mine, and I- Not that I’m saying you belong to me like an object, I just- I’m trying to say-”

“I get it,” Yang interrupted with a chuckle. “Although, I don’t think that’s true. The throne is yours, no?”

“That’s not the same,” Weiss shook her head, darting her eyes away. “It could be anyone’s. You just have to have enough men willing to fight with you to take the throne.”

Humming quietly, Yang slid her hands up Weiss’ thighs to slip them over her back to pull her closer, and for a moment, they were content to simply be in each other’s space, and Weiss looped her arms around Yang’s broad shoulders, gently threading her fingers through golden locks and marveling at their softness.

Until an obnoxiously loud grumbling was heard, and Weiss froze, feeling her entire being burning in embarrassment as Yang instantly laughed heartily, giving one last squeeze to Weiss.

“You did barely eat a thing during the banquet,” Yang winked at her, creating another wave of heat to her face. “Alright, sit tight. I’ll go get you something to eat.”

“No!”

Freezing in place as Yang was about to move her from her lap, Yang stared at her, blinking in surprise, and Weiss distracted herself by minding her hair, tying them back with the first ribbon she could lay her hand on.

“I will go,” Weiss sighed, returning her hands on Yang’s shoulders when she was done with her hair. “I… have to keep my credibility.”

“Credibility?”

“If they see you and not me, they will think I’m out for the count,” Weiss sighed, darting her eyes away and trying to forget the sticky sensation between her legs as she was about to stand from Yang’s leg. “Then again, you _are_ a strong girl…”

A thoughtful hum filled the silence of the room as Yang only watched with amusement, but soon, Weiss shook her head with a sigh, brushing back a stray lock of golden hair behind Yang’s ear before standing, grimacing in the cold, night air.

“No. It will be better if I go. I have to preserve your sanity, after all.”

Shrugging on her night shirt and knowing it will suffice for the short trek she was about to do, Weiss responded to Yang’s wave in kind, and accepted the blonde’s wish for good luck with a graceful bow before leaving the comforts of her chambers.

Already steeling herself for the teasing she will have to endure through, Weiss kept her head held high, her naked feet padding against the stone floor the only noise filling the silence until the sounds coming from the banquet graced her ears.

It had been some time, since Weiss and Yang retired to her chambers, but Weiss had honestly hoped to see the room mostly deserted, but she grimaced when she realised the festivities were still going, even though the crowd was much smaller than earlier.

Still, as soon as she stepped in the room, all the eyes turned on her, and she tried her best to ignore it as a chorus of salacious howls and whistles sounded.

“Still walking, my liege? The new Queen looks like a strong girl, I thought you wouldn’t be able to walk for days!”

“Maybe even break the bed!” Another shouted.

“Who said she was the one on top?” Weiss replied calmly, taking a tray of empty mugs and letting them slide aside before going on the other side of the table with her tray as roaring laughter followed her.

Slowly filling her tray with food as she listened with one ear to the teasing of her knights that were mostly the only people still there, Weiss thoughtfully tried picking the things she remembered Yang liking, and she was almost done when suddenly, an arm snaked around her shoulders, and Weiss rolled her eyes already when she could _feel_ the knowing smirk on Blake’s face.

“So, how’s it going?” The spy asked, and Weiss had to hold most of Blake’s weight as she was swaying on her feet, and Weiss eyed the pitcher of wine that Blake was drinking straight from, apparently. “Is she all you ever dreamed of?”

“And then some,” Weiss still played along, straightening her friend a little as Blake giggled against her shoulder. “I was hungry, so…”

“I bet you are,” Blake winked, but she did so with both her eyes and not at the same time, and it made Weiss snort, rolling her eyes with a shake of her head.

“You are drunker than usual,” Weiss couldn’t help but comment, a soft touch of concern coloring her voice. “Are you alright?”

Instantly Blake nodded, her eyes closed but a wide grin on her face, and it relaxed Weiss a little. When asked directly, Blake would never lie to her, even less in this drunken state.

“I’m just really happy for you,” the spy was saying, her head resting on Weiss’ shoulder. “I really hope she makes you happy. You deserve a good woman who makes you happy.”

“Dully noted,” Weiss couldn’t help but snort at her best friend’s antics, and Weiss spied a full pitcher of wine and two cups, adding them to her tray.

“And if she ever hurts you, you can tell her that she’ll have to deal with me,” Blake finished in a mutter, apparently falling asleep on her shoulder.

“The concern is appreciated, but you really should get yourself to bed, Blake.”

“Hm. Is she nice with you?”

“What?”

“You know,” Blake insisted, a frown contorting her features as she kept her eyes closed. “Is she _nice_ with you?”

Letting out a small sigh, Weiss took a second to glance around, making sure no one was listening to them before she leaned her head on top of Blake’s, whispering in her ear.

“Yes. She’s… very patient with me. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner.”

“Hm. Good. Very good.” A beat passed as Blake nuzzled her neck, before the spy pressed the faintest kiss against her temple and slowly pulled away, blinking her eyes open. “I’m going to bed.”

“Do you know the way?” Weiss couldn’t help but mess with her spy, Blake usually so stiff and discreet and now, Blake stood in the middle of the room, swaying as if she had spent all her life on a ship and was just now back on the ground.

With an eye closed, Blake nodded, extending an arm and pointing at the wall near the hallway where, indeed, her bed was.

“It’s that way,” Blake affirmed with all the certainty of the world. “I think.”

Snorting again, Weiss shook her head before turning to the knight discreetly keeping watch, near the large double doors and gestured for them to get closer. Instantly doing so, the knight removed their helmet, and red hair flowed from it as the knight bowed at the waist in front of her.

“Pyrrha, would you please get this fool back to bed?” Weiss let out loud enough for Blake to hear, pointing with her thumb towards her spy and eliciting a loud and offended ‘Hey!’ back at her.

Still, the knight turned her emerald-green eyes to the spy, and even the tall red-head woman couldn’t hold back a cornered smile before she bowed her head again.

“Will do, my liege.”

“Thank you.”

Her mind at ease now that Pyrrha was on the task, Weiss continued pilling up food on the tray, remembering that Yang, too, didn’t eat much, probably torn with nerves too, and she was scratching her cheek as she hesitated between two sweet dessert, knowing that Yang liked both, before finally shrugging her shoulders and taking a little of both.

She was just about to return to her room where Yang was waiting for her, she remembered with another nervous twist to her guts, when Pyrrha came back, standing by her side as rigidly as before.

“Blake is in bed and asleep even before she got there, my liege.”

“Thank you again,” Weiss smiled, before gesturing to the food still on the table. “You know this is a celebration, Pyrrha. You can help yourself to whatever you want.”

“I know, my liege, and thank you,” the knight bowed slightly again, and her greed eyes shone with gratitude. “But someone has to look out for you when Blake isn’t.”

“Ah, even when she shouldn’t, Blake is still looking out for me,” Weiss rolled her eyes with a fond smile, and it only made Pyrrha nod with a smile. “But thank you for your work. Don’t forget to sleep sometimes.”

“Will do, my liege. Have a good night.”

As the night left, returning her helmet on her head, Weiss finally took the tray and started back towards her room, now her departure a lot more discreet than her entrance earlier, and she was quite happy with the amount of food she was bringing back. It was only when she was standing in front of the door that she had difficulties, trying to open the door as she cursed the doorknob, unable to find a good enough grip with both hands holding the tray.

Still, Yang must have heard her on the other side, because it was her that opened the door, sighing in relief as she did.

“You were gone so long, I was starting to worry,” the blonde muttered as she stepped aside to let her through, before her eyes fell on the tray, at the food piled up on it. “Did you think we were more than two in here?”

“I wanted to make sure I had some things you liked,” Weiss mumbled, quietly and a little embarrassed.

“Aw, thank you,” Yang let out, sounding genuinely touched by the attention as she closed the door behind Weiss.

Setting the tray at the center of the bed, Weiss took a seat, pilling the pillows against the headboard for her to lean on it and Yang instantly did the same, eagerly taking the pitcher while Weiss managed the cups. For a moment, they ate in silence, and Weiss was glad to have brought back as much food as she did, when she saw how Yang seemed a lot more eager to eat than she did earlier, at the banquet.

Sipping her wine for a moment, Weiss let the moment linger as she turned her eyes to the hearth, frowning when there were only embers left in it.

“I… never expected it to be like this.”

Keeping her attention on the hearth, she noticed Yang turning towards her in the corner of her eye, pausing for chewing for a moment.

“Never expected what to be like this?”

“The night, you know…” Weiss gestured meaningfully to them, to the plate of food and the room around them. “Following the wedding.”

“Oh.” Taking a moment to look at Weiss for a moment more, Yang nodded, a smile pulling her lips. “Yeah, me neither, but… this is nice.”

“It really is.”

“We just… have to take our time and enjoy ourselves,” the blonde continued, and she looked so at ease right now that it relaxed Weiss as she sat back against her pillows. “I really enjoyed myself earlier, by the way. I know you did too.”

Added with a wink, Weiss couldn’t help the warmth coloring her cheeks as she dipped her nose in her cup wordlessly, and it made Yang chuckle as they continued eating, once again a comfortable silence hovering over them.

“I don’t think I told you earlier, but…” Weiss spoke softly, knowing it earned Yang’s attention, but she didn’t quite look her way. “When I saw you, in your beautiful dress earlier, I… I was sure I was dreaming. You were… a vision, taking form. I thought my heart about to burst when I saw you.”

“I could say the same about you,” Yang spoke softly after a moment, easily reaching over to lightly touch her shoulder. “You always look dashing, but today, you looked… like royalty. Like you were born for this moment. Like nothing could touch you.”

“Except you.”

It made Yang huff, smiling a little.

“Yeah, except me.”

A silence settled over them, and Weiss dipped her nose in her cup, if only to try and alleviate the intense stare Yang was regarding her with, and she took in a sharp breath when the tips of Yang’s fingers trailed over her shoulder, hovering against her neck.

“I still thought that I would ride you so hard,” Yang murmured, her eyes dark but not in a malicious way as Weiss could only see want and need in them. “But maybe not tonight.”

“W-why not?” Weiss bolted upright at that, hating that those words had the effect of a cold shower on her.

Yang shrugged, grimacing for a second.

“It might be a little intense for your first time.”

“But I want to learn,” Weiss scoffed, offended by the lack of faith. “I want to know how to please you.”

As Yang continued to look at her, apparently gauging her up, Weiss raised her chin under the stare, unwilling to admit defeat so easily, and it seemed to be just what Yang was waiting for as a small smirk pulled the blonde’s lips, arching a single brow as she did.

“Alright,” was the only thing Yang murmured before pulling the tray aside, out of reach.

Then, in one swift movement, Yang was straddling Weiss’ lap and she could only stare with wide eyes as the blonde smiled at her, and Weiss had the presence of mind to blindly reach for the nearest surface to leave her cup of wine there just as Yang leaned down to claim her lips.

It was still soft, still patient, still respectful of her boundaries, but Weiss could feel the hunger behind it, feel the urgency straining against this bond, and she couldn’t put into words how grateful she was for it, even though she couldn’t help but feel irked by it a little. Weiss wasn’t made of porcelain, either. She wasn’t about to break.

And yet, Weiss felt her brain short-circuiting when Yang, while still kissing her, guided Weiss’ hands under her shirt, gently pressing them against her skin. The fact that her hands were touching Yang, _under her shirt_ , goodness, Weiss knew it was implied from the start, but it still blew her mind nonetheless.

With a breathy laugh against her lips, Yang shifted her hips on Weiss’ lap, rolling them as if to acknowledge the space she had, and with just that Weiss’ libido was through the roof, all the heat she had felt previously coming back with a vengeance as she firmly gripped Yang’s backside under the shirt, groaning when she gave a squeeze. With that, Yang huffed, and pulled back from the kiss with the clear intention of pulling the shirt over her head, but Weiss quickly stopped her.

“Let me,” she whispered, locking their eyes together and only moved when Yang gave a nod.

Slowly, Weiss caught the hem of the shirt and brought it up and over Yang’s head, the blonde, docile, raising her arms when asked, but then both giggled when the collar got stuck in Yang’s hair, and after a moment of fumble it was finally free, and Weiss discarded it aside without care, leaning back to appreciate the sight in front of her.

Yang accepted her stare with a cocky smirk, straightening her back and raising her chin with an arched brow, and even in the dim lighting, Weiss felt the last of her breath escape her lips as her mouth grew dry, and she swallowed thickly, for a moment speechless.

“My Queen,” Weiss murmured in Valese as she looked up in Yang’s eyes, her voice veiled with wonder and awe. “You truly are a sight to behold. As long as I am alive, I will gladly serve you however you like.”

“You know,” Yang playfully said with a smirk, letting her hands meet behind Weiss’ neck. “For someone who claim to have just learned Valese, you are quite wordy.”

“What do you want me to say,” Weiss smiled with a chuckle, letting a hand slide over the firm stomach of the blonde and up until it reached the valley between Yang’s breasts. “I love having your tongue in my mouth.”

“Hm. Go on like this, and you will have mine between your legs.”

Before Weiss could retort anything, Yang slipped said tongue in Weiss’ mouth, efficiently keeping her from speaking any further, and Weiss only closed her eyes as she pressed the blonde closer to her, this carnal hunger for the blonde’s heat, for her softness and closeness that was already making her head spin with want still present, and Weiss internally cursed the shirt she was still wearing, hating that it kept her from Yang’s body like a barrier.

Without being asked and hoping it was alright, Weiss brought both hands to Yang’s chest, cupping them and marvelling at their weight, their warmth and softness, and breaking apart from the kiss, Weiss’ mouth traveled down along the blonde’s neck, savoring every inch of her skin like it was the last thing she would ever taste in her life.

“I want to tell you how every inch of you is beautiful, but I don’t know enough Valese to do your beauty justice,” Weiss murmured against Yang’s soft skin, closing her eyes to better savor the moment.

“Then do it in Atlesian,” Yang mumbled, and Weiss adored the way the blonde sighed when she kissed the hollow of her throat. “I can still understand the tone.”

“Your skin is a marvel that nothing can rival,” Weiss instantly switched from Valese to Atlesian, her lips still peppering kisses down Yang’s chest. “The best silk and satin are mere sand-paper compared to it, and the one to compare it would be a complete fool to do so.”

With one hand still holding a breast and gently groping it, rolling the nipple between her fingers like Yang did on her earlier, Weiss’ other hand traveled down to Yang’s firm, taut stomach, feeling the muscles hardened under her touch and creating ripples across the smooth skin.

“Your body is a temple that I am not sure I deserve to set foot in, but I would be humbled to honor it.”

Her fingers followed a line, a furrow amidst the hard muscles, and she could feel Yang tensing her thighs at the downward touch, but Weiss let her finger circle around the belly button she found in her blind travels, the blonde letting out a shuddering breath in response.

“Touch me,” Yang murmured in Valese, her voice strained and her eyes so dark in the dim room.

Without waiting for an answer, Yang took the hand on her stomach and guided it between her legs, and Weiss was breathless for a moment when her fingers met Yang’s heat, so incredibly hot and delightfully wet that she only stared at Yang, speechless.

When her fingers entered her, Weiss moaned in synch with Yang, and she met her eyes, half-lidded and full of need, and Yang rolled her hips against her, smoothly making her fingers sink deeper with just that as Weiss closed the distance between then, brushing their lips together.

Their eyes still locked, Yang kept a rhythm, slow and steady at first, but that only increased with each kiss they shared, breathing each other’s breaths with barely the space of a hair between their lips. Weiss’ hand that was still on Yang’s chest went down her side, settling at the blonde’s hip, if only to help her a little.

“Add a finger,” Yang panted against her waiting lips, and Weiss obliged instantly, entranced by the sound of her voice so devoid of the usual teasing, replaced by this raw and urgent need. “Curl them.”

“Curl them…”

Doing as told, Weiss tentatively curled her fingers when the next thrust came, and she must have done something right because Yang let out a low, throaty moan, her eyes sliding shut as her blonde head bowed.

“Again,” Yang pleaded, and Weiss did, catching the next moan with her lips as she claimed Yang’s, and the rhythm increased, the bedframe creaking each time. “Don’t stop,” she panted again, her features twisting in pleasure. “Don’t stop…”

It was overwhelming, making Weiss dizzy with all these new sensations, but she knew she panted in synch with Yang, breathed with her and moaned with her as she could feel the tightness around her fingers, scorching hot and so incredibly wet that her fingers could slide in and out without the barest resistance, and she could feel her clamping down on them whenever her fingers curled to press against those silken walls.

It was… indescribable. Weiss wanted nothing more than to be here forever, with Yang panting in her ear as she was starting to clutch at her shoulder, the pants and moans louder and louder as the thrusts were hard and fast, and Weiss couldn’t care less about the ache in her hand, about the bed that sounded about to break, about those sounds that Yang was letting out with abandon probably carried all the way to privy ears.

No, in this moment, as Weiss could tell was mere seconds away from ending, Yang was radiant, and Weiss wanted the world to end, wanted for this to be the last thing she saw before her death.

“Your beauty gives meaning to the world as you grace them with it, and make a fool of Death for taking with it anyone who has ever laid eyes on you.”

With one last thrust of her hips, Yang clamped down on her fingers as Weiss could feel her hips bucking against her, and she buried her face against the blonde’s shoulder, holding her close as her fingers curled, deep inside Yang. She let her tongue collect the sweat on the smooth skin, savoring the taste as she let Yang catch her breath.

With her free hand, Weiss delicately brushed aside the long, wild blonde mane to clear Yang’s face, the blonde then leaning over to burry her face against her shoulder with a quiet groan.

“Was that satisfactory, my Queen?” Weiss asked in Valese, her own voice hoarse and low but she cleared her throat quietly.

It took a moment before Yang answered, and she took that as a victory in itself, but Yang finally straightened her back, sitting back on her lap, and her expression was relaxed, with just a hint of exhaustion that Weiss was sure, would be gone before she knew it.

“You,” Yang panted, slowly reaching up to cup her cheeks gently. “Definitely earned my tongue between your legs.”

It made Weiss blink as, gracelessly, Yang all but plucked Weiss’ fingers out of her like it was nothing and crawled back and away from her lap, another small and nearly ominous smirk pulling her lips.

“What?” Was the only thing Weiss blurted out, before letting out a yelp when Yang grabbed her by the ankles and pulled with enough force for Weiss to slide across the covers, laying down on top of them.

“I said,” Yang repeated as she crawled closer on all four, standing over Weiss with a wicked grin and a wink. “You earned my tongue between your legs.”

With a peck on Weiss’ lips, Yang then crawled back to kneel between Weiss’ legs, that she promptly squeezed together, suddenly embarrassed that Yang would be so close to this part of her body. A part of her mind had yet to register that her own _fingers_ had been _inside_ Yang just moments ago.

Eagerly, Yang rested her hands on her thighs, and Weiss felt the same panic as earlier rise much more quickly than she could manage, and she grabbed her hands, catching the blonde’s attention instantly.

As soon as their eyes met, Yang’s expression softened, and she leaned over to kiss the top of her knee, gently squeezing her hands.

“I’m sorry if I scared you,” the blonde murmured, a touch of remorse contorting her features as her thumbs soothingly rubbed along Weiss’ fingers. “I was just… eager.”

Swallowing thickly but glad that Yang instantly stopped, Weiss let out the breath she didn’t know she was holding, long and trembling, and Yang grimaced in sympathy but didn’t move, her lips peppering kisses across her knee and her thumbs still rubbing soothingly, but otherwise was still as a statue.

When she felt a little more in control, Weiss took a deep breath in before giving a short squeeze to Yang’s hands, earning the lilac eyes to her again.

“Be gentle with me,” Weiss let out quietly.

Bringing one of Weiss’ hand to her lips, Yang kissed her palm, right where the ache still lanced, and stared her right in the eye again with all the seriousness of the world.

“I promise I will,” the blonde murmured against her hand. “Take all the time you need. The night is still young.”

Letting her head fall back against the pillows, Weiss closed her eyes for a second, taking in a deep, steadying breath.

“Alright.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey again! Welcome back!
> 
> So, for this chapter it will be heavier, delving a little in Weiss' past, but it's not too dramatic. Only Weiss is.
> 
> Anyway, i hope you like it!

Slowly woken up by something tickling her nose, Weiss grumbled, scowling in her half-awake state as she weakly tried to brush it away, but doing so resulted in even more tickling to her nose, and she had to turn away to sneeze.

A soft sigh beside her made her freeze, and her eyes snapped open, instantly recognising her bedroom, and when she turned around to see what had tickled her, Weiss paused in front of the sight of Yang sleeping, oblivious in her slumber.

Her hair spilled across the covers and pillows like a river of gold, unrestrained and free, and Weiss didn’t have the heart to be mad that it woke her, instead simply carefully pushing it to the side before laying down again, and after a second of hesitation, snuggled closer to the blonde’s warm, naked back.

She remembered the last of the night before with a blush as she pressed her face between Yang’s shoulder blades. If it had irritated her before that Yang had been with someone else previously, Yang had used that experience to scramble Weiss’ mind with a skillful tongue, leaving Weiss to purr praise after praise in Atlesian that Yang had taken in stride, uncaring of the fact she absolutely didn’t understand all she had said and only proud of herself for what she had accomplished.

They had fallen asleep soon after, in each other’s arms as the night was drawing to an end, the dark sky already paling, far off in the horizon. Weiss couldn’t remember sleeping so soundly before.

As she closed her eyes again, breathing the smell of the blonde’s skin, Weiss knew it was already later than she would usually get up, and for the first time in her life, Weiss couldn’t care less. Her duties could wait a little longer; for now, she was content and happy, laying beside the woman that had changed her life.

Weiss managed to doze off for an unknown amount of time, pressed against Yang’s back, and was gently roused when Yang slowly turned around, carefully looping an arm over Weiss’ waist, and she let her, only shifting closer when Yang settled again. It made her smile when she felt the blonde press a light kiss to her forehead, and a gasp followed, Yang realising she’s been caught.

“You’re awake!”

With a chuckle, Weiss opened her eyes and was met by the lazy smile in front of her, and for a moment, they basked in each other’s presence, simply content to stay there, alone together in the late morning light filtering from the window.

“So…” Weiss quietly let out, not really knowing what she wanted to say as she simply wanted to say something to Yang.

“Yeah…” Yang, apparently, understood what she was trying to do, and instead reached a hand across the covers between them to, with the tips of her fingers, nudge Weiss’ as her hand rested motionlessly, palm up.

Her eyes darting there with a slow blink, Weiss let Yang’s fingers roam across her palm, tracing the lines and following the edges, the light touch creating a tingling sensation that she was sure, would stay with her for the entirety of the day.

“This will be how every morning will be?” Weiss continued just as quietly, keeping her eyes on their hands.

She saw in the corner of her eyes how a smile pulled Yang’s lips, heard the soft, quiet huff it earned her.

“I believe so.”

“I must certainly still be dreaming,” Weiss couldn’t help but say, gently catching Yang’s fingers as she curled hers. “I never had something as nice as this.”

As she had expected for Yang to scoff or say something to tease, the blonde did none of that, instead simply observed her for a moment, her lilac eyes calm and still somewhat hazy with sleep, and with a slow blink, the blonde shifted, sighing a little.

“Now you do.”

Instead of a retort, Weiss only let the words sink in as she released Yang’s fingers, letting them return to their aimless wander, and in this moment, in the tranquility of the bedroom, Weiss felt peace, for now forgetting the many threats over her head, the fragile bond with the neighbouring kingdoms, or the shackles of her past, only to be here, with Yang.

How she wanted it to be like this for the rest of her days.

“May I ask for a kiss?” Weiss murmured, returning her eyes on Yang only to see another lazy smile, and Weiss adored the way the light caught in her hair, sparking it in flames around her perfect face.

“Just the one?” Yang playfully pouted.

“If it is as you wish,” Weiss solemnly said, slightly dipping her head.

“Hm… How many are you willing to give?”

“For you, my Queen, the amount is infinite.”

“You know,” Yang smiled softly as she leaned over, stealing a kiss from Weiss’ willing lips. “I really do think _I’m_ the lucky one.”

Simply humming as they shared another kiss, Weiss squeezed Yang’s hand gently, and she even smiled when she felt Yang’s fingers slide between hers.

“That remains to be seen.”

Chuckling against her, Yang kissed her again, and she closed her eyes, relaxing in it as she slowly forgot that they eventually would need to get out of bed and up. For now, Weiss gently pushed Yang for her to lay on her back and started kissing down her neck, letting her free hand caress the smooth, supple skin of Yang’s chest as hunger sparked to life in the pit of Weiss’ stomach again, insatiable. Yang only laughed, eagerly turning her head to the side for Weiss to better work.

****

It was… certainly different, having Yang around. There was a dynamic shift within the castle, when everything settled. Of course, Yang was sad to see her father go soon after the wedding, even she knew the king had been away from his throne for a long while, now. And even if he had people he trusted back home taking care of the kingdom, it wasn’t the same.

Weiss understood, of course. She had trouble leaving her duties for an hour, she couldn’t even imagine if it was for almost a month! But seeing Yang watching the Vale court go was bitter-sweet, as while Weiss was rejoicing at the fact that Yang was her wife now, she knew it would be hard for Yang.

After all, Yang left everything behind to come here, to live in a strange land that spoke a strange tongue.

Yang hadn’t said a word about it, though. To her credit, the blonde was adjusting well to this new title, this new responsibility, and she was learning Atlesian fairly quickly, even though Yang complained that it was harder than Weiss made it look like.

Still, it wasn’t rare that Weiss was sitting alone in the throne room to listen to the folk’s pleas, and it also wasn’t rare that Weiss would zone out for a moment when she would see Yang walking by, following her with her eyes for the chance that Yang might wave at her. It happened almost every time, and whenever it did, Weiss smiled, before remembering what she was previously doing and returning her attention on her task.

The tension along the borders dissipated a little, less than Weiss hoped but it was still a victory in itself, and in its stead, another danger rose along the borders, unexpected to say the least as Weiss was staring at a map of her kingdom, little red flags indicating the numerous pillages her people had reported.

Bandits were rare in her kingdom, for the true riches were deeply in land and closer to the castle, easier to defend, but it did happen sometimes. It was inevitable, that a village fell pray to them. But five of them, all along the Mistral borders, was _not_ a coincidence, that she knew.

But why? Weiss couldn’t help but ask herself, scowling at the map as she scratched at her nails again, restlessly. Resources were scarce in this time of year, so maybe it was a large group and needed more supplies, so they went to the next village. But five?

She narrowed her eyes at the map, hating that it felt like a dare, like Weiss was being called out. This has to be dealt with, but so far, the reports she had didn’t spoke of numbers. She would need to send a platoon there, to try and understand what happened and maybe find the bandits’ camp to root them out of her lands.

Weiss just hated that it happened so soon after the wedding, just barely getting used to have someone she was sharing her bed with, her life with, and Weiss was reminded of it when she felt a presence behind her, relaxing when she felt those strong and familiar arms looping around her waist.

“Another one?” Yang asked in a whisper, right in her ear, and Weiss sighed, a flash of irritation rising again.

“Five of them in the space of a month,” she couldn’t help but mutter grumpily, bringing a hand to her mouth so she could much on her thumbnail. “What do they want? What are they after?”

“Food?”

“Mistral is more plentiful than Atlas will ever be!” Weiss snapped, gesturing at the map with an angry hand. “It doesn’t make sense!”

A soft, light kiss being placed at the base of her neck made Weiss exhale the last of her irritation, and after a second, she squeezed Yang’s hand, wordlessly apologising for her temper, and Yang only nuzzled her ear, leaving another kiss behind it.

“Are you going to send Blake to gather information?”

“Already did,” she grumbled, unhappy. “Along with Pyrrha, Nora and Ren, in case something goes awry.”

The room fell silent for a moment, the quietly crackling of the fire the only sound to fill it, and Weiss hated to feel so helpless, hated that she couldn’t go investigate herself. She hoped, prayed, that nothing happened to Blake’s group, and that they would coma back soon, hopefully with news of where the bandits were camped.

“Are you sure it’s bandits?” Yang asked suddenly, resting her chin on her head.

“It looks like it,” Weiss sighed tiredly, rubbing her eyes with a lazy hand. “From what I heard, they are organised enough and efficient. Lot of hoofprints in the snow. They could be thirty, or more.”

“That would be a big camp,” Yang reasoned quietly. “Lots of mouths to feed. Horses, too. Kind of hard to hide such a large group in the snow.”

“That’s what I hope,” Weiss nodded, pointing to the last village attacked on the map. “It’s a couple days ride, but knowing Blake, she should be back soon. She has our fastest horse.”

“You should come to bed in the meantime,” Yang softly said in her ear, squeezing her middle. “You’re exhausted. There’s no use fretting over the map, and you will need to be well-rested if something happens.”

Knowing that Yang was right, Weiss sighed again, unable to _not_ feel worry when her friends were out there and going towards enemies, but she knew she needed her rest. For two days, Weiss had been glued to the map, wondering without end and anxiously waiting for news that she knew, would take a couple more days to arrive.

“Fine,” she finally grumbled, dipping her head. “Lead the way.”

With a kiss to Weiss’ nape, Yang then took her hand and tugged her away from the war room, and as Yang was striding across the halls with her head held high while Weiss lagged behind with her feet dragging on the floor, and she closed her eyes for a second, just to rest them.

A second later it seemed, they were in the bedroom, and Weiss instantly started to undress and prepare for bed, eventually letting Yang take care of untying the tie of her shirt, and soon, she slipped under the cover, feeling Yang pressing against her back. As she relaxed in the soft heat emanating from Yang, Weiss fell asleep in a wink, her mind set at ease with just that.

A dreamless slumber carried her through the night, and she was slowly waking up by soft touches to her neck, like a butterfly resting upon her skin, and she sighed contentedly, not quite awake yet as she was barely aware she was being moved gently, laying on her back. Basking in the warmth surrounding her, Weiss was about to fall back to slumber, lulled by the soft caress of a hand and petal lips across her skin.

The hazy cloud of sleep slowly lifted when those lips flew across her stomach, and came into focus as they passed the curve of her hip, soon falling for the inside of her thigh.

A quiet hum of appreciation sounded from her when the warm and wet touch of a tongue spread her open effortlessly, and she shifted her hips against the touch, spreading her legs a little wider.

“Good morning,” Yang’s voice reached her ears with a smile in it, as she could feel the blonde’s hot breath against her, teasing her.

Before she could respond to the greeting, Yang’s tongue was back at work and she hummed again, throwing her head back to better appreciate the sensation. Soft lips offering lewd kisses, Yang’s hands coming up to hold her hips in place as the tongue made her mind spiraling when it went up and circled around her clit.

A quiet, shy moan escaped Weiss’ lips at that, and it only spurred Yang on as Weiss raised a lazy hand, resting it on the blonde head to pet Yang’s soft hair.

“My Queen, every morning with you is a delight, but this…”

It earned her a very pleased hum that vibrated right against her core, and it made her toes curl, a shiver running down her spine when one of the hands on her hips moved to lift her leg over Yang’s shoulder, and she couldn’t help but buck her hips against the blonde’s mouth, curling her fingers in blonde locks with a sigh.

After lifting Weiss’ leg over her shoulder, Yang’s hand moved, slid down between her legs and teased along with her tongue before a single finger slid inside, curiously prodding her walls. Drawing back, Weiss whined quietly when it circled her entrance teasingly before sliding in, curling in just the right way to press against a sensitive spot.

It was a wonder how Yang had easily learned what she liked, as Weiss never really thought she would like to be intimate with someone. Of course, she would have done so for duty, but to think she would crave it sometimes left her in a kind of whiplash.

Then again, she always craved Yang’s body. Weiss had realised it after their first night, and every waking moment that she wasn’t caught by her duties, she would find Yang wherever she was, simply to be in her space for a moment. And then, when they were together in the confines of their bedroom…

If someone had told her before meeting Yang the amount of sex she would have once she got married, Weiss would have laughed at their faces.

And so, Yang was slowly bringing Weiss higher and higher with her precise touches and expert tongue, and Weiss was panting, her free hand reaching over her head and clutching the pillow she was resting on. A louder, breathy moan escaped her lips as she threw her head back, pulling Yang closer with her leg as she felt so close…

A sudden, loud banging on the door made both of them jump out of their skins in surprise, and Weiss snapped her eyes open, her entire body tense as she felt her lower stomach throb while her heart jumped in her throat. Sitting there, dishevelled, out of breath and feeling her entire mind askew, Weiss blinked back at Yang when the banging on the door came again.

“We’re busy!” Yang barked at the door in crude Atlesian, her cheeks taking a fiery color that slowly spilled down her neck.

Weiss couldn’t do much but stare in wonder, the sight rare in the first place as she could feel a slow smirk blossoming on her lips, snorting. She felt strange, in this moment, almost drunk on pleasure that never got to be released, and for now, the idea that they were being bothered for an urgency escaped both their minds.

“Apologies, my lieges,” a man spoke calmly on the other side of the door, and Weiss instantly straightened her back, her attention slamming back on track as she recognised Ren. “But we found the bandits’ camp.”

Instantly rolling out of bed and jumping in her trousers, Weiss grabbed the first shirt she could see and shrugged it on, swinging the door open while barely decent and Yang had to jump under the covers to hide.

“Show me,” she ordered at the knight in front of her, closing the door behind her.

Returning to the war room at a brisk pace as she loosely tied her tie, Weiss observed the silent man following her. He looked utterly exhausted, with snow still melting in his hair indicating that he just arrived from probably riding all night.

“We encountered a handful of soldiers on our way to the last place the bandits attacked,” Ren started as he followed her pace easily. “They scouted out ahead, and found their camp. Blake should have more information once we’re there.”

“How many are they?”

“At least fifty, my liege.”

“Fifty?!”

Finally entering the war room, Weiss shook her head in disbelief. Fifty men? That was a small army! Why were they here, what did they want?

For now, they both stood in front of the map, and Ren was quick to mark the spot of the bandits’ camp, before marking, too, another spot a little ways from it.

“This is where Blake wants us to regroup,” Ren explained. “The camp was just made, and such a large group don’t just up and leave; if we’re quick, they might still be there when we join Blake.”

“Do you have any other information?” She still asked, eyeing the map for a moment more before looking up at the dark-haired man. “Anything at all?”

Ren pinched his lips as he dipped his head, bowing slightly.

“No, my liege. There was little time, and we wanted to notify you as soon as we could.”

Sighing as she ran a hand in her hair, Weiss eyed the map for a moment more, before nodding shortly, decided. No matter what they wanted; those bandits were a threat to her people, and she needed to deal with this problem as soon as possible.

“Alright, go to Ironwood, tell him to gather a hundred men,” Weiss ordered promptly, earning a quick bow before Ren left at a brisk pace, but she grabbed him by the elbow just before he was completely out of the doorway. “Tell Jaune to come along. We might need a healer.”

Letting go of the man’s arm, Weiss then turned to a nearby servant, gesturing for them to come closer as Weiss was walking back to her bedroom, giving orders for the preparations of their imminent departure. As time was of the essence, Weiss didn’t want for the bandits to have the time to leave while they prepared.

As the servant left with their instructions, Weiss saw, up the hallway, Yang coming towards her with Weiss’ thick cloak in hand, Yang already wearing hers.

“Where are they?” Yang asked when they met, and Weiss walked with her as she took the cloak.

“Not that far, when I think about it,” Weiss muttered as they made their way to the throne room, seeing it already buzzing with activity. “Maybe a day’s ride. I’m not sure if they are after the mines… doesn’t look like it, though.”

“Of course they are,” a booming voice sounded and carried across the busy throne room.

Weiss just barely held back the grimace she wanted to make as she recognised the tall man standing near her throne, hands clasped behind his back and piercing blue eyes staring right through her. She heard the quiet groan Yang let out at the sight, her, too, not particularly fond of the man even after such a short time knowing him.

She felt her eye twitched, though. He was standing right next her throne as if it was his.

“It is not certain, _James_ ,” Weiss retorted back dryly as she climbed the steps to her throne, irked that he stood there like nothing was wrong.

“Going to them would be a miscalculation,” the general claimed, standing tall right in front of her as he, imperceptibly, shifted to block the path to her throne. “We should prepare defenses at the mines, not go on some wild goose chase.”

“There are several villages between where the bandits are camped and the mines,” Weiss forcefully spoke, squaring her shoulders as she went to sit on her throne, bumping her shoulder against the man. It wasn’t her initial destination, but sometimes, her general needed to be reminded who was in charge. “Are you saying we should sacrifice them to the bandits to defend a place they _might_ go?”

“Of course,” Ironwood scoffed, like it was the most natural thing to do. “But you might not get the bigger picture, since you are but a child.”

“I think the title you want to refer to is ‘Ruler’ and not child, _General_ ,” Yang growled as she, too, climbed the steps to claim her own throne, next to Weiss’.

The man hummed with the slightest bow of his head as he stood there, undeterred.

“Apologies,” Ironwood started, but then stared at Yang with a shadow of malice dancing in his eyes. “I was merely saying that our liege might lack experience, and therefor, not understand the gravity of the situation. Same as you, my _Queen_.”

Technically, Atlas was not ruled by a king or queen, but as a Ruler, as per Weiss’ title. Still, the court had heard Weiss give this same title to Yang a couple of times, and would refer to Yang by this. But it was always done in reverence, in respect.

From Ironwood, though, it was referred to with disdain, haughtily reminding Yang of her Valen heritage and therefor, signaling that he believed her ignorant of the Atlesian ways.

Weiss bolted to her feet at this afront, about to remind her general who he was talking to, but before she could say anything, a flash of gold passed in front of her eyes, and all she could see was Yang’s fist slamming against Ironwood’s nose, instantly drawing blood as a sickening crack was heard, and it made the man stumble down a few steps as he brought a hand to his nose, cursing quietly.

The events taking place made everyone freeze in the room, and Weiss was so surprised by the sudden reaction that she simply stood there, speechless and astonished, but not quite ready to condemn Yang’s action.

“Oh, I understand _plenty_ ,” the blonde let out, loud enough to be heard by everyone in the room, her hands curling in tight fists by her sides as she stood tall, staring down Ironwood. “I understand that you are willing to sacrifice the lives of innocent people for something that _might_ happen. I might have been born in Vale, but Atlas is my home, as they are my people, and I will _not_ stand around for them to be slaughtered needlessly. So we will go to them, and we will show them what Atlas is made of!”

As Weiss stood in awe, a round of cheers was heard and echoed in the room from the soldiers and guards that heard the scene, and it only spurred Yang on as she slowly climbed down the steps towards Ironwood, still holding his bloody nose with a scowl.

“We will run them out of our borders, and teach them to never set foot on our lands ever again!”

Another round of cheer sounded, louder as more soldiers were massing right at the large double doors leading to the throne room, and with each cheer, Ironwood stepped down as Yang towered over him, her presence filling the room effortlessly.

“We will make them learn that when they hit us, we will hit them back, and will hit them harder!”

The cheers were deafening, now, as the soldiers and guards were knocking their shields and scabbards together, and Yang raised her chin as she looked over at them, looking every bit the leader that her title suggested, and Weiss suddenly felt so very hot under the collar as she had the very, very inappropriate thought of tasting a little of that power right about now.

Still, she shook the thoughts aside when, with a single raise of her arm, Yang made the cheers quiet down, and the blonde stepped down to the last step to stand in front of Ironwood, that averted his eyes as soon as she stared at him.

“Am I not understanding the situation well, General?”

If they had been alone, Weiss would have laughed at the amount of arrogance in Yang’s voice, the pitch of her voice higher than normal as if she wanted to remind him how young she was, but it only made Ironwood bow deeply in front of her, still holding his bloody nose.

“I apologise for my arrogance, my liege,” the general spoke, in a suddenly quieter voice than earlier. “I was only worried about our resources, but I will prepare the men at once.”

Without being told, the man dismissed himself as he swiftly turned around and left, the crowd separating right in front of him, and when he did, Yang finally turned to Weiss, and for a short second, Weiss could see uncertainty in her lilac eyes. Yang was probably wondering if she hadn’t overstepped her boundaries, knowing that Weiss’ word would take precedence over hers, but Weiss only settled a hand over her own heart as she stared at her, for a second breathless.

“My Queen,” she let out in wonder, and she saw how Yang held her breath. The entire crowd felt like they did, too. “Will you marry me again?”

Instantly, the tension diffused as there was a collective roar of laughter, and Weiss marveled at the fact it made Yang blush as her lilac eyes darted away shyly, dipping her head, but she could still spy a smile on her wife’s lips.

****

They headed out maybe an hour later, the long line of soldiers emerging from the opened gates more slowly than Weiss would like, but snow had started again, and she bundled up under her cloak, pulling the hood over her head. Weiss had her usual warm, fur-lined cloak, the pale fur of the wolf pelts the perfect camouflage in this snow-covered land, and she didn’t fear for her hands as she was wearing her favorite and well-used thick leather gloves. Since she was so small in stature, it had been custom made for her. It was more practical than pretty, but it was no less a beautiful piece of work.

Yang, though, was wearing Weiss’ grand-father’ cloak, made out of bear pelts. Jacques, Weiss’ father and previous Ruler of Atlas, didn’t quite have the stature required to wear it. Yang, with her tall and broad figure, filled it rather nicely, and Weiss couldn’t help but think that somewhere, maybe fate had brought them together. This cloak, that was more an heirloom to her, fitted Yang like a glove, and she looked magnificent in the fading light of the setting sun, setting her hair alight from her place at the very start of the column.

Yang was easy to spot even with the distance, because her mount was annoyingly tall. As the horses in Atlas were bred to survive the cold, they were small, not very fast, but strong and sturdy with a thick, fuzzy coat. They were loyal and brave animals, if not fearless, be it a knight’s mount or a farmer’s work horse.

Yang, however, had kept her horse from Vale, the animal tall and built for speed and beauty with a smooth, lustrous coat, but Weiss knew it wouldn’t fair so well in the snow. Unbeknownst to Yang, Weiss had kept an eye on her wife’s horse during the winter; she wasn’t about to let it die from the cold, not when Yang visibly loved the animal.

Their progress was slow, and they rode well into the evening before a lone rider met them, and Weiss had felt Yang tense on her horse even with the distance, but Weiss knew better. As she expected, a lantern was lit, blinking twice.

“It’s Blake,” she quietly informed Yang, letting the soldier behind her respond to the spy’s signal.

A moment later, the rider quickly came closer, and Weiss was glad to see her friend well, if a little tired, but Blake smiled still in the flickering light of the lantern.

“I was starting to lose hope that I would see you tonight,” the spy sighed quietly as she rode beside Weiss, pointing to a distant patch of trees that the feeble light of the shattered moon barely lit. “We’re camped over there, in the trees.”

Weiss let Blake led them to the camp, and Weiss relaxed when she saw the other members of the small group she had sent away to be all unscathed. She had feared, as she always did, that they encountered problems on the way, but they knew better than to get into a fight so largely outnumbered.

Even if Nora was there.

“We’re camped out of their scouts’ rounds,” Pyrrha informed as soon as her eyes met Weiss’. “They started building fortifications, though.”

“Fortifications?” Weiss repeated, not liking at all how this was going.

“Follow me,” Blake instantly jerked her head to the side, leading her horse away.

Weiss glanced over at Yang, who was wearing a worried frown on her face as the report didn’t bode well at all, and they both followed Blake away, letting the soldiers settled down for the night. In the darkness of the night, the snow muffling the sound of the hooves of their horses, and they rode in silence for a while in a lazy arc, probably to avoid any potential scout. Finally, Blake led them up a soft, snow covered hill, as once on top they could see, in the distance, several campfires and people around them, merely black dots in the night.

Fishing a spyglass under her cloak, Blake extended it to watch over the bandit camp for a while, before offering it to Weiss, who took it immediately.

“They started the fortifications earlier today, as if they knew you were coming,” Blake explained as Weiss could barely see a thing, for a moment having forgotten that being a faunus, Blake had near excellent vision in the dark. “I don’t know what to think, I mean… They pillaged all those villages, but they barely took anything from them.”

“What?!” Weiss could help her exclamation as she could discern, if she focused near the campfires, the bandits relaxing around them.

“They were drawing us out,” Yang quietly let out, her voice sounding unsure as she extended her hand to Weiss, who gladly let her have the spyglass to have a look.

“But why?” Weiss asked as she turned to Blake, quietly furious that she was being played by simple bandits. “It’s the first time in nearly a decade that bandits are sighted on this side of the border, and now, they want to attack the ruler of the kingdom?”

“I’m not quite sure,” the spy sighed, soothing her horse that was pawing the ground impatiently. “They wouldn’t be fortifying the place if they didn’t expect a fight, but then again… They are not nearly enough to wipe us out.”

“Maybe wiping _all_ of us out is not what they are after.”

Both Weiss and Blake turned to Yang, who was observing the camp with attention, and Weiss could see how tense she was, noticed the way her lips were pinched in an unhappy line, and to see Yang so upset made _her_ upset.

“What do you mean?” Blake asked nonetheless, leaning over on her saddle to look at Yang.

At that, the blonde finally looked away from the spyglass taking a moment to blink her eyes before shaking her head, discreetly.

“You said they came from Mistral?” Yang asked instead, offering the spyglass back to Weiss.

“Yes,” Blake nodded, returning her attention back at the faraway camp. “I also heard some of them talking in Mistrali when I was spying their scouts.”

“What do you have in mind?” Weiss asked her wife, wondering why Yang was being strangely quiet about her thoughts. Usually she barely had a filter, always saying the first thing that came to her mind even if it was hardly appropriate, and now…

“I just…” With a sigh, Yang looked back at the camp, and even in the dark Weiss could see the way a crinkle was in place between her brows. Oh, something was definitely wrong, Weiss thought in the back of her mind. “Fifty men is a really small number to take out the ruling leader of a kingdom.”

It was true indeed, Weiss couldn’t help but agree, returning her attention on the camp. But if they were well trained, and in a place of their choosing, and… If said leader was away from all kind of back-up, which meant away from the castle, well…

“We don’t know for sure if it’s really their intentions,” Blake reminded uneasily, probably coming to the same conclusion Weiss did. “I’ll go to them as a messenger, at first light.”

“Be sure to take Pyrrha with you,” Weiss instantly added, her guts twisting with anxiety. “And Nora, in case something goes wrong. We will watch.”

“I know, my liege,” Blake dipped her head gratefully. “For now, we should get some rest while we can.”

They made their way back to their own camp, and Weiss was glad to see that her tent was up and ready, and both her and Yang thanked the soldiers as they retired for the night. A lantern was lit, sending dancing shadows across the fabric of the tent, and Weiss was distractedly pulling off her cloak, hanging it near the entrance for it to dry during the night and hanging with it her belt with her rapier dangling from it, as she was still wondering what their plan should be. If Blake wasn’t attacked right at the gates, that is. They were bandits, after all.

Should they try to storm the camp? But then the bandits could pick them off as they went, for the entrances, from what she had seen, was barely larger than two men at a time. That would be like entering a slaughterhouse. Should they let the bandits get to them, then? They wouldn’t have built fortifications if they weren’t ready to stay in it for a while. What if they brought one of the walls down? _Could_ they bring one of the walls down? Weiss couldn’t recall if they were equipped enough to-

A pair of soft lips gently pressing against her neck pulled her from her thoughts, and Weiss closed her eyes with a hum, leaning back against Yang that seemed to appreciate the reaction as she kept peppering kisses along her neck.

“How about we finish what we started this morning?” The blonde murmured against her skin, the large hands sliding across the fabric of her shirt before tugging it out of her trousers slowly.

With a huff, Weiss opened her eyes and turned her head to stare at her wife, but Yang avoided her stare to instead kiss right at the juncture of her neck and jaw, sending a shiver down her spine as she did.

“You really want to do that _now_?” She couldn’t help but snort, still letting Yang do what she wanted, as usual.

“There might be a battle tomorrow,” her wife quietly let out, her hands slipping under her shirt and across her stomach, feeling her skin. “I don’t want to take any chances.”

It made her chuckle as she simply stayed there, enjoying the touch as the hands climbed up to squeeze her breasts gently, making her hum and Yang groan quietly right in her ear.

“The concern is appreciated, my Queen, but it won’t be my first fight,” Weiss reminded, almost chiding. “I will not fall, tomorrow. Not against bandits.”

Suddenly, the hands pulled back and away from under her shirt, and Weiss nearly yelped when Yang made her turn around for them to be face to face, and Weiss was standing right in front of a worried frown that made her heart stop for a second, their eyes locking together. When she saw how the worry gnawed at Yang, Weiss sighed quietly, a soft smile pulling her lips as she reached up to cup Yang’s cheek, running her thumb over it tenderly.

“I will not fall when I know I am going back to you, my Queen,” Weiss murmured before standing on the tip of her toes to steal a kiss, one that Yang instantly returned. “I would never make you wait.”

“What if I fall?” Yang asked against her lips, her eyes closed.

“That’s absurd. An entire platoon could not win against you.”

Letting out this low, throaty chuckle that Weiss loved, she was barely aware that Yang, while kissing her, lowered the light of the lantern before guiding them to their bed, and she gently laid Weiss down on her back, Yang settling over her. As they kissed, Yang explored her skin under the shirt, before making short work of the buttons of her trousers.

Weiss hummed against Yang’s lips, her own fingers untangling the atrocity that Yang called a tie, for the blonde had forgone her usual dress as they were probably going to fight, opting for, like Weiss, a simple shirt and trousers. But before Weiss could pull free the tie, Yang pulled away and stepped aside for a moment, before meaningfully pulling down on her trousers, and Weiss obediently lifted her hips to facilitate the action.

Her bottom finally free, Yang settled back between her legs and Weiss loosely wrapped them around Yang’s, keeping her from leaving again as the cool air made goosebumps rise across her thighs. Finally pulling the damn tie free, Weiss huffed as Yang was pressing open-mouthed kisses down her throat, and she tossed it aside without care.

“I really should show you how to tie your tie,” Weiss mused quietly, closing her eyes when Yang pulled on her collar to kiss a little lower on her chest.

“If you could use it for something else, I would be over the moon,” Yang merely responded against her, chuckling.

“Something like what?” She quietly wondered, not really interested in the answer as she focused on Yang’s warm mouth against her chest, distractedly sliding her hand in the river of gold that was Yang’s hair to hold her there for a moment.

An interested hum sounded from the blonde before Yang pulled away, standing over her and creating a gust of cool air between them that made Weiss let out a quiet, needy whine.

“Maybe I’ll show you,” the blonde winked teasingly. “But not today.”

With that, Yang lifted the hem of Weiss’ shirt with the clear intention of pulling it off of her, and Weiss let her, once again helping along as she lifted her back from the bed, letting the fabric slid off her skin like a second thought as Yang’s eyes roamed across it like she was seeing it for the first time again. Weiss resisted the urge of covering herself, shy of the intense stare on her, and when Yang kissed her again, it was soft, Yang’s lips gently pressing against hers, welcoming and tender as the blonde quietly sighed against her.

Tugging the blonde closer with her legs, Weiss hummed in satisfaction when Yang got the message and pressed down against her, pinning her under the blonde, and even through Yang’s clothing, she could still feel the soft forms against her. It was largely unfair that Yang was still fully clothed, though.

Before she could voice her thoughts, Yang pressed their hips together, sliding a hand between them to greet Weiss’ sex, and she couldn’t help but groan when she felt the blonde’s palm grounding in just the right way to send a jolt up her spine. Burying her face against Yang’s shoulder, Weiss looped her legs around Yang’s waist instead, her arms loosely wrapping around Yang’s shoulders for her hands to delve deeply in the blonde’s hair.

“Today, you are all mine,” Yang murmured against the hollow of her throat, before her tongue followed the line of her collarbone. Strong fingers ran along the soft, nether lips, teasing until Weiss whined quietly in her ear before spreading her open, and a full-body shiver shook her when she did.

“I am always yours, my Queen,” Weiss whimpered in Yang’s ear, before burying her face in Yang’s neck again when the blonde teased a finger near her entrance, slowly circling it and gathering fluids there.

Chuckling breathlessly against her throat, Yang kissed Weiss’ shoulder before her lips trailed down to Weiss’ chest, and Weiss could feel Yang smile against her when she bucked against the fingers teasing her.

“I love it when you’re eager,” Yang murmured against her skin, and in the softest bite, let her teeth graze against Weiss’ breast, but the fingers against her only kept teasing, as if Yang _wanted_ her to lose her mind before she even got started.

“Yang,” Weiss complained, curling her hands in golden locks, without pulling them. She had learned that if there was one thing Yang despised, it was her hair being pulled. “Stop teasing me.”

“But my liege,” the blonde grinned against her chest, and Weiss opened her eyes just in time to see the sparkling lilac eyes of her wife, brilliant with mirth. “I _love_ teasing you.”

Before she could say anything, Yang’s finger entered her, soon followed by another, and she gasped just as Yang kissed her, and one of her hands left Yang’s hair to slide over, cupping her face as Yang started to move. It was slow at first, just as their kiss, but soon the blonde picked up the pace, curling her fingers against Weiss’ walls.

To allow the pace to go even faster, Weiss unhooked her ankles from Yang’s waist, leaving one of her legs still across Yang’s waist while the other fell to the side, tensing up in sink with Yang’s thrusts as she arched her back to meet every one of them fully, still pulling the blonde closer with her legs for her to go faster, deeper. Still, Yang used her free hand to push back her leg, allowing more space to move, and Weiss couldn’t help the moan escaping her lips when the pace increased, the thick, strong fingers hitting right where she wanted them.

They moved in synch in a strange dance that they had practiced for weeks, now, and suddenly everything fell together so very perfectly, and Weiss was sure that their hearts were beating at the same time, that each of Yang’s breaths were her own as, for a moment, the two of them were as one.

A delightful rush coursed through Weiss’ veins as another moan left her lips as this time Yang failed to catch it, and the hand that had been cupping Yang’s cheek went to clutch the blonde’s back almost desperately as Weiss was breathless, throwing her head back against the pillow.

She turned her head to muffle her cry of pleasure when her legs shook against Yang from the force of her orgasm, and her back arched off the bed when Yang never relented, only speeding her pace as Weiss could absently hear how breathless the blonde was, one large hand leaving her leg to slip under her and grab her ass firmly.

Wet, sloppy kisses were being pressed against her neck as Weiss was taken higher again without pause, without rest, and she threw a hand to the side as she needed to grab onto something to ground her, because Yang was sparking her body alight with every touch, the blonde’s fingers hitting _just right_ again and again and it was too much but at the same time not enough, and she felt like her heart was going to beat out of her chest, like it was about to burst and stop right inside it.

It was all so intense, so overwhelming, and Weiss could feel that it would be different from her previous orgasm, but it would be just as satisfying.

“Yang,” Weiss breathlessly panted, hoping to catch the blonde’s attention as she quickly patted her back. “Yang, I’m- I’m-”

But instead of slowing, Yang groaned in the crook of her neck, and leaning all her weight on her knees, Yang lifted Weiss’ hips a little more to get a better angle and mercilessly increased the pace, and Weiss could feel a jolt shaking her legs with each thrust of Yang’s fingers right against that sensitive spot.

Gods, it was impossible! Yang was going to drive her crazy!

Well, Yang was definitely doing something to her because Weiss could feel a different kind of pressure, one that she tried to fight against for a moment, the unknown a little scary to her, but between Yang’s hands she soon relaxed into it, knowing that her wife would never do something to harm her.

And she let go, knowing that Yang held her, and her mind was filled with pure ecstasy as she felt her walls clenching once again around Yang’s fingers, and it was so intense that she wasn’t even aware of the sounds she was letting out. Right now, the two of them were all alone in the universe, and she was floating on a cloud of pleasure as she could hear Yang’s voice murmuring something that she didn’t quite catch, simply happy that she was near.

Slowly, Weiss was brought back down to the bed, and she laid on it limply, exhausted beyond reason as she simply panted, trying to catch her breath, and Weiss was barely aware of the soft, butterfly kisses fluttering across her chest. Hearing Yang saying something again that her ears couldn’t catch from all the cotton filling them, Weiss swallowed thickly, trying to focus as she blindly searched for Yang’s head, petting her hair gently.

“What did you say, my love?” Weiss murmured, not quite aware yet as she simply wanted to keep floating around in this blissful haze she was in.

“I said, you came all over me,” she finally heard Yang’s voice, softly chuckling in her ear as she felt the soft kiss being pressed against her shoulder. “Didn’t know I could make you squirt like that.”

The words took a moment for Weiss to register, and she frowned slightly, not quite understanding what Yang had said yet.

“What?” She mumbled, finally opening her eyes to look down.

She was met with the top of Yang’s head as the blonde peppered soft kisses across her chest, but after nudging Yang’s side, the blonde finally straightened her back, and Weiss felt her eyes widening at the sight. Yang’s hand, still between her legs and gently running up and down the length of the inside of her thigh, was dripping wet, and a large, damp spot covered Yang’s thigh, darkening the fabric of her trousers as the blonde had used it to help with her thrust.

Still, she was far too out of it to truly feel ashamed or embarrassed, but she still gasped, reaching a hand to lightly touch the blonde’s knee.

“Yang, I’m… I’m sorry, I didn’t know-”

“It’s okay,” Yang smiled tenderly, and Weiss felt warmth suffusing from her chest when she could see the amount of affection in the blonde’s eyes. “I don’t mind at all.”

“Is it… normal, though?”

“Yes, though some women have a little more trouble to do it.”

“Oh,” Weiss sighed in relief as she let her head fall back against the pillow, closing her eyes. “Alright. If you say so.”

Weiss’ quick capitulation of the subject was telling of her state of mind, and it made Yang chuckle throatily as Weiss was barely aware of Yang undressing beside her. Usually, she would drink in the sight, but now she was simply letting herself drift to sleep, but she still fought against it until she felt Yang lay down beside her, felt the covers over them.

And only after she felt Yang spooning her and kiss her temple did Weiss finally let go, entwining their fingers together as she snuggled a little more against Yang, before she sighed, content and satisfied, and drifted to sleep like this.

****

“Weiss!”

The sudden call of her name jerked her awake as she jumped on all four, blinking her eyes to clear her vision, and she turned to the sound of the voice, realising it was Blake that was standing halfway in the entryway of the tent, but with her back to her, respecting her privacy.

“I’m awake,” she reported hastily, clearing her throat when her voice was still raspy from how deep her slumber had been, pulling on the blanket to cover herself out of habit.

It made Blake snort and Weiss could guess the smile on the spy’s face when she saw the black head shaking slightly, but Blake shifted in the entryway, a sigh shaking her frame.

“Dawn’s breaking,” Blake reported, solemn. “I was about to get Pyrrha and Nora.”

“Good. I will be right there.”

Blake bowed slightly even if she was facing away from her before exiting her tent, and Weiss sighed as she slouched back on the bed, stretching her legs that she could feel sore a little. But what was strange was the absence of her wife, Yang’s exceptional and welcoming body heat nowhere to be and leaving the bed cold and empty.

It made her frown to see Yang gone. Usually, the blonde would have woken her up, or at least she would have felt Yang leave, being the light sleeper that she was. But maybe, after last night, Yang let her sleep a little more while she went out in search of breakfast…

So Weiss got out of bed and got dressed quickly, her mind returning to the situation at hand. She had a feeling that the day would be long…

After securing the belt at her hip and her mind settling at the familiar, soothing weight of her rapier falling easily against her hip, Weiss then threw her cloak over her shoulders as she stepped out of her tent, and a glacial gust of wind greeted the exposed skin of her face, making her grimace with a grunt.

The day would be cold, too.

Spying a nearby fire, Weiss instantly went to it, warming her hands and rubbing them together as she was greeted by a handful of soldiers, and she shortly returned the greetings before a bowl of warm porridge was thrusted in her hands, giving her no other choice but to take it.

“Here,” Nora was saying with a wide, teasing grin as the knight sat right beside her, and Weiss already knew what was coming next. “You need it, after what I heard last night!”

A round of playful laughter sounded around their fire along with salacious whistling, and Weiss kept her chin held high through the teasing as she wordlessly started eating the food while it was warm. And she suffered through the teasing as she eyed around the camp, searching for the cause of all of this; her wife.

A strange weight settled in her guts when everywhere she looked, Yang was nowhere to be seen. Yang was taller than most, and yet, Weiss couldn’t see her blonde head catching the rising sun, no matter where she looked. Even when she finished her bowl and gave it back to Nora as she walked around the camp to find her, Weiss still couldn’t find Yang.

When she spotted Blake, preparing her horse slowly, Weiss went to her as she couldn’t help but feel like something had gone horribly wrong.

“Have you seen Yang?” She blurted out without warning, coming right from Blake’s dead spot and visibly startling her.

“By the Gods, Weiss!” Blake was muttering under her breath, settling a hand over her heart as if to keep it from jumping out of it.

“I can’t find her, all morning I searched for her,” Weiss continued, oblivious to the near heart attack she had inflicted on her friend as she kept glancing around, just in case she could catch a glimpse of her wife’s blond hair.

Still, to see Weiss fretting so much made Blake realise that Weiss was serious and not just pulling her leg, and the spy stared at her, frowning.

“Wasn’t she with you this morning?”

“When I fell asleep last night, she was with me, but she was already gone when you woke me up!”

“Alright,” Blake instantly set a soothing hand on Weiss’ arm. “Let’s search for her together.”

Resisting the urge to jerk her arm away as Blake was treating her like a child, Weiss merely glared at her spy, who ignored her in favor of staring towards Weiss’ tent, watching over the horses still hitched near it.

“Well, her horse is still there,” Blake reported, pointing at the tall horse dozing right beside Weiss’.

“I know, but Yang _isn’t_ ,” Weiss hissed, gritting her teeth together.

“Wherever she is, she can’t be far,” Blake reasoned, obviously ignoring her. “I mean, she’s on foot, and there’s a bandit camp right next to us.”

Humming quietly, Blake tapped her chin thoughtfully for a moment, and Weiss was left there in her increasingly gloomy mood, her arms tightly crossed over her chest. Where could she be gone? Weiss couldn’t help but think. If she was simply relieving her bladder, she should have been back by now.

This felt all wrong, Weiss couldn’t help but think.

When Blake moved, starting towards Weiss’ tent, she only followed, a part of her curious of what her spy was thinking while the other couldn’t help but think every scenario possible, starting from bad to worse in a matter of seconds.

“Look,” Blake pointed at something on the ground, footprints leading away from the tent, from the camp. “Yang went that way.”

“But why? There’s nothing that way.”

When Weiss turned to Blake, she could see the starting worry on her face as the spy brushed past her, following the footprints silently, and Weiss could feel the dreadful feeling settling over her chest.

She knew she had it too good. She should have known better. Weiss couldn’t just be happy with her new wife, _of course_ something had to happen to her.

And her worry only kept climbing as they walked further away from their camp, following the lone prints until, a little ways from them, they could see the snow had been disturbed a great deal, and they both ran to it, observing the surroundings.

“A fight broke out,” Blake guessed, her amber eyes observing the scene.

“With whom?”

Pinching her lips as Blake only glanced at her, knowing very well that Weiss knew with who the fight had been, the spy pointed to a nearby tree, and even with the distance they could see scratches across the bark, branches broken.

And when they got closer, Weiss felt unbridled rage when, still clinging to a broken branch, were a few long, blonde hairs swaying in the breeze, and she delicately gathered them with trembling fingers.

“Blood, over here,” Blake reported as she pointed to something on the snow, her tone stern and her features steeled, but her feline ears were flush against her hair, speaking much louder than words would. “Looks like they dragged her away.”

“I will kill each and every one of them,” Weiss hissed through gritted teeth, her eyes glued to the couple of blonde hairs around her fingers. “Every last one of them.”

“Weiss…”

“They took my wife!” Weiss roared, clutching the strands to her chest. “They took her!”

“Weiss, wait! We need a plan!”

Turning on her heels, Weiss ran back to camp, fury fueling her entire being and rage making her forgoing reason as she ignored the numerous calls from Blake, and as soon as she was back in camp, Weiss jumped on her horse and stormed out of camp, barely acknowledging the dumbfounded looks she earned herself on her way.

Heeling her horse relentlessly, Weiss made a beeline for the camp, her mind set on making those bandits pay for this transgression. Who did they think they were? Who did they think _she_ was? Well, they had something coming all right as, with her horse snorting to keep the maddening pace, Weiss unsheathed her sword, nearing the doors much faster than anyone would.

Making her horse turn sharply with a harsh pull of the reins just when Weiss was in front of the door, she used the momentum to summon a black glyph under her feet, letting it propel her high in the air and well over the fortifications, and she could see the dumbfounded expressions on the faces of the bandit guards on the catwalk, following her with their eyes.

As she sailed in the air in a perfect arc, Weiss didn’t stay idle, already spinning the cylinder of her weapon to settle it on blue, and with a swift jerk of her weapon, icy shards took form in front of her and were rocketing towards said guards, and Weiss ignored their cries of pain as she landed near the bodies. Another bandit, that was shocked from what was happening in front of him, shook himself into motion as soon as Weiss’ feet touched the catwalk, but Weiss easily stepped aside the incoming strike, forgoing proper and fair fighting to lethal and precise, plunging her blade in the bandit’s side, just under the last ribs.

Weiss was far from giving them a chance, her blade hungry for blood and her mind screaming murder, and she turned to the bandit camp right in front of her eyes, just under the catwalk surrounding the fortifications. And her attention narrowed on a tall blonde, standing near the center, with her hands bound to her back and blood seeping from a cut on her lip.

Another kind of fury roared inside her, adrenaline pumping in her veins as she audibly growled, her eyes snapping to the nearest enemy she could see as a group formed under her, all of them drawing their weapons.

As the cylinder of her rapier spun again to settle on yellow, Weiss fearlessly jumped over the ramp, seemingly about to land right in the middle of the group of bandits under her until the yellow glyph took form under her feet, and she zipped to the side with the speed of lightning, and Weiss gracelessly slashed and thrusted her blade, killing everything in her path without an ounce of hesitation.

Right now, Weiss was the person most of the soldiers under her father’s reign had bowed to, the reason why Ironwood, that had been her father’s right hand, bowed to her. She wasn’t just Weiss Schnee. In this moment, she was the monster of legend, the bloodlust wolf howling for pain and hungry for blood. The monster needed to kill another monster. It was a side of her that Weiss had hoped Yang would never see, and yet, she could feel the weight of Yang’s stare on her as she made her way to her.

She always kept her wife’s blonde hair in her sight, gradually making her way to her as she killed mercilessly whoever stood on her path, and in this chaos, Weiss felt her fury growing with every second that she was away from Yang, fighting with the strength of a wronged deity who would only be soothed with the blood of her enemies.

Weiss was barely aware that the gates of the bandit camp were rammed through, as her own men came flooding the camp to aid her, and Weiss saw, near Yang, a woman with dark, wavy hair that looked entirely unimpressed of the display in front of her. Instead, she calmly made her way to Yang as she pulled on a knife at her belt and pressed the sharp blade right under Yang’s jaw, clearly surprising the blonde.

Still, the sight alone made Weiss stop in her rampage and stilled the chaos of the camp, standing still as a cold breeze blew, and Weiss panted as the bandits surrounding her all drew their weapons at her. Feeling dangerous and feral as she glared at this impudent woman who dared draw a blade on her wife, she narrowed her eyes as, upon seeing her finally still, the woman’s lips twitched in a satisfied smirk, and Weiss felt a snarl twist her lips.

“I suggest that everyone calms down,” the woman spoke loudly and clearly, surprising Weiss as she spoke Valese as if she had been born there. Still, the blade against Yang’s neck pressed harder against the blonde’s skin, and a drop of blood snaked down to stain Yang’s collar. “We don’t want any more bloodshed, right?”

“You took my wife!” Weiss roared in Valese, her accent aggravated in her fury. “I swear to the Gods, if you hurt her, I will skin you alive!”

A dark brow was arched as a quiet click of tongue was heard in the silence of the camp, and only now did Weiss notice that the woman’s eyes were red, staring at her for a second more before turning to Yang in an amused smirk.

“There is a misunderstanding,” the woman spoke clearly again, the press of the blade relenting from Yang’s neck as the blonde looked away in shame. “We did not take her. She came to us.”

As blood dripped from her blade and she could feel the one that wasn’t hers dry on her face, Weiss blinked, her fury muted as she turned her eyes to Yang to see her wife hanging her head low. Confusion took place instead of rage, but Weiss shook her head, not about to believe some random bandit leader instead of her own wife, and she raised her bloody rapier to point this woman, this _bandit_ with it.

“Lies!” Weiss growled out, but even she didn’t sound as confident as a moment ago.

Yang avoiding her stare was telling in itself, but the whole thing sounded off, now that she thought about it. Yang walked away from camp, all alone without telling anyone, to where she knew she could cross the path of a scout, and now…

“You do realise you’re surrounded,” the woman spoke again, clearly, in a deeply amused tone of voice that made her eye twitch and her teeth grinding together.

Snapping her attention to her immediate surrounding with a snarl, glaring at the bandits that were indeed surrounding her, Weiss noticed a few of them stepping back under her sharp stare, sighted a couple of blades trembling in unsure hands.

“I like those odds,” Weiss let out, snarling and tightening the hold on her rapier.

It made the woman laugh, then, leisurely resting her arm on Yang’s shoulder, the knife resting limply over the blonde’s chest harmlessly, held by loose fingers.

“Maybe you two _do_ deserve each other,” the bandit told Yang, who glared at the woman. “Two troublemakers, eager to get into fights. Although, one of you is more eager to kill, that much is obvious.”

Before she could say something to catch the woman’s attention and turn it away from Yang, Weiss saw a shadow moving behind the woman, and from the relaxed position the dark-haired bandit was holding the knife, she knew it would only take a second.

Appearing from nowhere, Blake grabbed the relaxed arm and painfully twisted it well and away from Yang’s neck, slamming her foot on the side of the woman’s knee and easily making it buckle, and the woman barely had the time to react that Blake already had her knife to the woman’s throat, pressing hard enough to draw blood as the next step would simply be a firm slice.

“Blake, no! She’s my mother!”

Yang’s shout caught the spy’s attention, and Weiss was infinitely glad that Yang spoke in Valese, knowing that none of her men understood what was being said, and Blake raised an incredulous stare up at Yang, utterly confused. And like the bandit she was, the woman took advantage of Blake’s surprise, twisting out of the spy’s grip, pulling on another knife at her belt and plunged it deep in Blake’s stomach.

“Blake!” Weiss screamed in synch with Yang, the blonde, closer, sliding on her knees and managing to break the spy’s fall as Blake dropped like a rag doll, curling around the knife.

“Just so you know,” the woman was casually saying as she climbed back on her feet, and Weiss returned burning eyes to the bandit, just about to close the distance and slice her neck herself. “Yang was trying to convince me to leave, to avoid bloodshed. Are you sure you really want to stay with that?” the woman asked to Yang, vaguely gesturing towards Weiss.

“Yes,” the blonde growled, and Weiss could see the shifting muscles on her wife’s arms, probably trying to break free from the rope binding her hands together.

“Really?” The bandit scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Fine. Don’t say I never tried to help you, then.”

“I never asked for your ‘help’!” Yang snarled, and the lilac of her eyes were shifting to red. “You’re the only one who assumed I didn’t want this marriage!”

Brushing the blonde’s words aside like it was nothing, the woman rolled her eyes again, and she gestured towards the camp, and around Weiss, she could see the bandits slowly backing away from the fight.

“Then we’ll leave,” the woman spoke to Weiss now, in her perfect Valese. “And if you still wish to pursue me, you should know that my knife is poisoned. If you want your friend to live, you should tend to her instead of running after me.”

Feeling her heart plummeting to her heels as Weiss turned to Blake, she could see how the spy was still cradling the hilt of the knife, how her hands were trembling, and her skin had grown sickly pale. As she stared, suddenly wondering what to do, the bandits left the camp quickly, soon the sound of the hooves of their horses shook the air surrounding her. A presence beside her made her focus on it, and she saw Pyrrha there, unsure.

“Shall we pursue them?” The knight asked quietly, her weapons still drawn.

“Take some men and escort them out of our borders, and don’t attack them unless they do first,” Weiss finally let out, and Pyrrha instantly dipped her head, acknowledging the task at hand, and Weiss turned to Nora, who stood not far from her with her Warhammer still in hand. “Fetch Jaune, quickly. We will camp here tonight.”

The knight instantly turned away and ran, folding her weapon in search of the healer, and Weiss finally turned to her wife and spy as she could see Yang still struggling with the bounds at her wrists, the skin around it growing a shade of purple that Weiss hated.

Still, she made her way to them, and quickly she cut the rope around Yang’s wrists before it drew blood, and as Yang looked up at her, Weiss wiped the blood of her blade on her sleeve, before struggling to return it in its sheath because her hands were trembling so much. Yang just acting on her own without telling her, without _trusting_ her, instead putting all their lives at risk and now, Blake…

Finally sliding her rapier in its sheath with a curse, Weiss turned her eyes to Blake as she kneeled beside her best friend, her hands, that were already trembling, now were shaking uncontrollably as they hovered helplessly over the spy’s body, wanting to help but not knowing what to do.

She could feel Yang staring at her, but for now she ignored it, couldn’t deal with it.

“Weiss, I-” Yang started slowly, in Valese, for just the two of them.

“No,” Weiss interrupted without looking at her, her tone leaving no room for argument. “I don’t want to hear anything from you right now.”

As the blonde closed her mouth and dipped her head, her broad shoulders drooping, Weiss looked up with relief when she saw Jaune running towards them, and she stepped back to leave him some room to work.

“Is anyone else injured?” Weiss asked the healer as soon as he kneeled beside Blake, his blue eyes focusing on the knife still planted in the spy’s body.

“A few, but the injuries are minor. They all insisted I go to Blake first,” the healer said quickly, resting a hand on Blake’s shoulder and closing his eyes.

Instantly, a veil of purple surrounded the spy’s body, glowing softly, and both Weiss and Yang stepped back, the blonde delicately laying Blake’s head on the ground. The soft glow moved across Blake’s form, before focusing on her stomach, around the blade, and slowly Jaune pulled it from Blake’s stomach.

Even though Weiss knew Jaune’s work took time, she simply sat there on her knees, curling her trembling hands on her lap as she watched over her best friend’s body, and for now, nothing else in the world took precedence.

She was stained with blood that wasn’t her own, exhausted beyond words, and she was simply content to be, for the moment, unaware of what was going on around her.

****

It turned out that the blood on her was not just from the bandits, as Jaune discovered several cuts and bruises across her body, and he chided her about being careful, and she listened to him with one ear, her mind away as she sat there feeling numb. Weiss hadn’t moved from Blake’s side ever since Jaune had moved her on a bed and under a tent, protecting her from the weather and prying eyes.

They would spend the night in the bandit’s camp before setting back to the castle once they would have confirmation from Pyrrha that the bandits were out of their lands, and Weiss could only stare at the sickeningly pale skin of Blake’s face, her dark hair looking so stark against it. Her forehead was feverish, of course; Jaune’s work could do so much, close wounds and work most of the poison out, but Blake would still suffer a fever, her body fighting against the last of the poison.

And Weiss watched over her, reaching over to take her hand and squeeze it. Tomorrow, they would sit Blake with someone for the ride back home; Blake should be in the comfort of her own bed if she hoped to fight off this fever. Her wounds were already closed, thanks to Jaune’s work.

She was aware that Yang hung about, hoping to talk to her, but Weiss ignored it, for now. She didn’t know what to say, what to do, didn’t know how to process all that happened, and… Weiss was deeply hurt by the obvious lack of trust from Yang. She always shared everything with her wife, always tried to show her all her cards, always tried to be honest with Yang and yet…

And yet, Weiss didn’t even know that Yang’s mother had been alive, even less a bandit leader roaming the kingdom of Mistral! It made her wonder then, the number of things that she still didn’t know about her wife. It made her wonder if Yang even cared about her, because obviously, Yang didn’t trust her enough to share a plan.

That night, Weiss spent it by Blake’s side, despite the insistence of her wife. In turn, Weiss had insisted that Blake should be under supervision at all times, and Weiss ignored her wife when she told her someone else could watch over Blake. No, Weiss reminded herself, keeping her eyes on the pale face of her friend. It always had been Weiss’ job to watch out for Blake, to take the brunt of the blow, and she had failed. So, she wasn’t about to leave her post.

Eventually Yang relented and left, and Weiss was equal parts relieved and saddened that she did. What if she was making it worse? She was definitely making it worse. After all, it has always been what she did best, making it worse for herself.

She let her mind grow dark for the first time in years, sitting alone in the darkness of Blake’s tent, holding her best friend’s limp and cold hand in hers as she watched the hours passing by without so much as a blink. In all this time, Weiss kept regretting looking into this bandit business. Maybe she should have listened to Ironwood and went to the mines instead. Maybe she would still be blissfully ignorant of what Yang really thought of her.

Dawn came without her knowing, and she was still there, holding Blake’s clammy hand in hers, and Jaune was running a damp cloth across Blake’s forehead as he was clearly asking her something that she didn’t hear, her ears filled with cotton. Weiss was barely aware that Yang came in the tent too, and it was her that spoke to Jaune, her that took charge for the moment.

Maybe it was all Yang had ever wanted, Weiss thought bitterly, feeling her throat constricting. Maybe it was all a lie, ever since day one, and Yang was one of those people who sought power through marriage. Like her father.

And she was just like her mother, drinking in the lies and believing them until she was useless, but Weiss couldn’t even have the grace to die in labor because their union will be heirless. Maybe she should just drown herself in alcohol, like her mother did while pregnant.

Then again, Weiss thought bitterly, her father had always told her that she was just like her mother.

She found her way on her horse even though she didn’t know how or when it happened, and she simply was in this thick haze as she looked around worriedly before her mind settled at the sight of Blake, passed out instead of sleeping against Yang’s shoulder. Yang had been the one to ride with Blake. Weiss didn’t quite know how she felt about that.

Suddenly, she was in the courtyard, leading her horse to the stables, and she was glad for it, wanted to brush her horse to ease her nerves and settle her thoughts, but before she knew it, it was taken from her, one of the stable hands rushing to take it off her hands, and Weiss just stood there like the idiot she was, like the fool she was, watching him take what she wanted away.

Because Weiss could never have something that she wanted. It was always taken from her, one way or another.

Once again she felt her throat constricting and her eyes prickling, and she had trouble breathing as she wanted nothing more but disappear, to be hidden for a moment, for everything to be still, to stop so she could catch her damn breath and understand what was going on.

A hand on her shoulder made her focus, and she swallowed thickly, raising haggard eyes up at the person in front of her.

It was Yang. The hand on her shoulder slowly drew back.

“Are you okay?” Weiss could barely hear with all the cotton filling her ears, but she could read well enough on her lips, even if it was in Valese.

“No,” Weiss simply retorted, blinking tiredly.

A flicker of concern and shame flashed in her wife’s lilac eyes, and it made a frown appear on Yang’s features as she avoided her stare, Yang’s broad shoulder drooping.

“I… We need to talk, Weiss,” Yang said, and Weiss hated that she could guess the soft tone her wife used. As if she could be baited with a soft voice and soft touches and…

And she had been baited by it, Weiss couldn’t help but laugh at the realisation, even though it sounded strangled, and Weiss wanted to cry even more. To just… cry and cry, until she had nothing more to give. Until she had nothing more left.

“I don’t want to,” she finally let out in Atlesian, taking comfort in the sharp edges of her mother tongue even though there was a lump in her throat, and she brushed past Yang, leaving her there.

Weiss entered the castle like a haunting ghost, wandering aimlessly around the halls and ignoring everyone she crossed path with, until her feet took a familiar path that she hadn’t taken in years, finding the familiar crack at the end of a deserted hall, hidden in the shadow of the stairs, and Weiss easily slipped through it.

This place had been their hiding spot, to Weiss and Blake, for years as they grew up. It was nothing more than a crawl space, without any windows so it was pitch black in here if they didn’t bring any kind of light, but right now, Weiss found it soothing as she curled up in a corner, for a moment forgotten, for a moment hidden, and for a moment, she could cry without restraint.

****

Time passed again, but it was fine. Weiss had stopped crying a while back, she maybe even fell asleep at some point, though she wasn’t sure, being surrounded in darkness like this. But it was fine. Right now, nothing rested on her shoulders. Nobody counted on her. Nobody could take advantage of her, nobody could hurt her.

She felt so fragile, in this moment. She wanted nothing more than Yang’s warm, gentle hands to hold her, to feel her body against hers and know that she was safe, but… that was a lie. She knew, now. Weiss knew it was all a lie.

To think Weiss thought she loved her, even called her as such the night before all went wrong… She didn’t think she could go back to pretending. Not again. Not anymore. She was done, she was just… so tired.

So goddamn tired of people hurting her. She never asked for this. Never asked to be born in this broken family, under this cruel man, in this unforgiving land…

No, Weiss decided. She was going to stay here. It was nice. Dark, and still. She wished she had a bed, though. All she wanted was to feel softness against her, to burry her face in a soft blanket and lay there forever.

Unfortunately, her moment of quietude was disturbed when, with a loud curse and panting, her best friend slipped through the crack into the crawl space, and Weiss hid her eyes from the lantern illuminating the small space, the light too strong for her eyes.

“Are you _kidding me_ , Weiss?” Blake sighed as she slouched in the other corner, but took the time to dim the light of the lantern, the feeble flame dancing slowly in the darkness. “I wake up from being poisoned, and the first thing that I hear is that our Ruler is _missing_!”

Darting her eyes away and deciding to ignore the spy’s presence, Weiss sighed quietly, regretting coming to a known hiding spot.

“Everyone is looking for you! Yang is beside herself with worry!”

“As if Yang is really worried about me,” Weiss couldn’t help but huff bitterly, another wave of pain numbing her senses, like so many others before. “She doesn’t care about me. She never did.”

“What?” Blake sighed, doubtful.

“She’s just using me, because honestly, why would she care about me?” Weiss continued, feeling her eyes welling up again as she curled into a tighter ball in her corner, her fingers digging in the fabric of her sleeves. “I’m just a stupid, broken girl that only has her title going for her. I don’t know why I thought this was real, that what I thought we had was genuine, and I just…”

She paused when her voice rose in pitch, and she swallowed thickly, ignoring the look Blake was giving her. Sometimes, she wondered why Blake stayed. Even Weiss knew that she wasn’t worth the effort.

“I thought she loved me,” Weiss managed to let out in a strangled voice, feeling a tear rolling down her cheek. “But instead, she was just lying to me.”

With a quiet sigh, Blake shifted in the small space, moving from her spot in front of her and instead sitting right beside her, sharing her body heat, and Weiss only now realised how cold she was, the stone of the walls surrounding her seeping the cold right to her bones, and she couldn’t help but snuggle closer to her friend, resting her head against Blake’s shoulder.

“I just want someone to love me, for once,” Weiss continued in a much more quiet voice, letting Blake wrap an arm around her shoulders to pull her closer. “I tried to be good for her, Blake, I did! But somehow, as always…”

“Did you talk to Yang?” Blake asked calmly, rubbing a hand up and down Weiss’ shaking arm.

“I don’t need to,” Weiss grumbled, hiding her cold nose in the crook of Blake’s neck, closing her eyes.

“Yes, you do,” Blake gently insisted, squeezing her arm. “Yang, she looks… She’s really worried about you, Weiss. I don’t think she slept since the bandit incident, and she begged for my help to find you.”

Stubbornly refusing the listen, Weiss wanted to stay here, in this crawl space forever. Maybe even with Blake, if she wanted to.

“That doesn’t mean anything.”

“Weiss, just…” With a sigh, Blake leaned her cheek on top of her head, and for a moment, a long moment, they stayed in silence like this.

Weiss was suddenly glad for Blake’s presence, remembering all those other times that they had been alone together like this, comforting each other in time of need. In a strange, wicked way, Weiss missed those days as they were, in a way, simpler times.

“Listen to me, Weiss,” Blake murmured suddenly, and Weiss felt the way she nuzzled her hair. “How long have you been here?”

Shrugging wordlessly, Weiss was simply content to be close to her friend like this, and she would gladly answer all of her questions if it made her stay a little longer. She changed her mind, about staying alone in here. She didn’t want to be all alone, anymore.

“Aren’t you hungry? Thirsty?” Blake tried, before rubbing a hand over her arm again, vigorously. “Cold?”

“I’m just tired,” Weiss sighed, and Blake squeezed her closer to her. “Just… so tired.”

“Okay,” Blake murmured, her voice soft. “You know I love you, right?”

Nodding, Weiss snuggled closer to Blake, unwilling to let her go.

“I know. I keep wondering why, though.”

“You really need to talk to Yang, Weiss.”

Grimacing in the depths of Blake’s neck, Weiss curled a little more against Blake, not sure she truly wanted to be seen again, to walk the surface of the earth again.

“I can’t,” she murmured.

“Why not?”

“I just can’t, Blake, I’m tired and-and fragile, and-”

“And maybe Yang will be gentle,” Blake interrupted softly. “Like she has always been with you.”

A stubborn silence hovered over them again, as Weiss curled a little more against Blake and it made the spy sigh again, but still she kissed Weiss’ head as softly as she had always done.

“Sometimes, you can be so annoyingly stubborn,” Blake muttered under her breath. “And it’s rarely helping you.”

Prickling at that, Weiss jerked away from Blake and instead returned to her initial position against the wall, begrudgingly staring at it as she tried to forget how suddenly cold she was, now that she was deprived of Blake’s warmth.

“I just can’t understand why you don’t talk to her, Weiss,” Blake sighed again, and she tried to ignore it, preferring to be moody in her corner. “It might just be a misunderstanding-”

“She lied to me!” Weiss couldn’t help but growl, feeling her features steeling. “She broke my trust! I gave her everything I had, even my heart and she just- She just spat on it!”

“Well, maybe she was just scared of how you might react,” Blake countered easily. “Put yourself in her shoes for a second; a gang of bandits are raiding and killing your new wife’s people, and you find out it’s your own mother. How can you tell your new wife?”

As the words slowly sank in, Weiss felt her tense frame droop a little. Of all the things Weiss wanted to make Yang feel, fear was the very last one on that list. Hell, it wasn’t even _on_ the list. The very thought was mortifying as, Weiss realised with another wave of self-deprecating thoughts, that she just gave reason to that fear, if it was really the reason Yang didn’t tell her about her plan.

“Whatever her motives for not telling you may be, I’m sure it wasn’t to hurt you on purpose. Yang doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would hurt on purpose, not like that.”

And now, Yang was thinking that Weiss hated her, that it was the reason she wouldn’t talk to her and avoided her for days as she was all alone in this strange kingdom, with Weiss for only ally. Maybe Blake, the two got along really well, but as Blake had said, the spy had just woken up.

To think that Weiss had left her wife all alone like this, when she had sworn protection and security to her… Yang wasn’t the liar. Weiss was.

“Look, I’m not… I’m not talking to her in your stead,” Blake was continuing, apparently oblivious to her growing gloomy mood. “This doesn’t concern me in the least, and I’m not comfortable doing this. So if you’re not going to talk to her, I’m going to tell her where you are, and you two are going to talk, because I think it’s still salvageable.”

“Okay.”

It visibly surprised Blake as the spy merely turned to her, blinking, and in the dancing, dimmed light, Weiss could see the feline ears perking up on top of her head.

“Okay?” Blake repeated, unsure of what it meant.

“I will talk to Yang,” Weiss muttered, the sound of her voice muffled by the fabric of her sleeve from her curled-up position. “But I have a favor to ask.”

“You want me to come with?” Her best friend accurately guessed, her features softening.

“So I don’t chicken out of it,” Weiss finished in a quiet, near silent mumble, her eyes darting away in shame.

She hated to have to rely on Blake with things like this, always did, but she knew that if she went alone, somewhere along the way, she would find another reason to not go, to simply avoid it until it would blow out of proportion. And whenever it did… It was never good.

In the silence that followed, Blake leaned over to hug her tightly, and Weiss let her, only closing her eyes as she appreciated the gesture. Truly, Weiss wouldn’t know what she would have done if Blake… If she died. She didn’t know what she would do if Blake wasn’t there, anymore.

“Of course I’ll go with you,” Blake murmured in her ear. “And I don’t think you would chicken out of this.”

With a huff, Weiss rolled her eyes, scowling against Blake’s shoulder.

“Then you don’t know me very well,” she grumbled.

“No, I do know you,” the spy countered, squeezing her gently. “And I know you love her. I’ve known for a while, now. That’s why I know you won’t chicken out of it.”

Sinking in Blake’s embrace, Weiss hid her face in Blake’s neck, feeling every bit like the scared child that she always was.

“How did you know?”

“Yang makes you happy,” Blake answered simply, petting her head lightly. “Happier than I have ever seen. And from the books I’ve read, there’s only one thing that does it.”

“You make me happy too,” Weiss said quietly after a beat of silence, reaching over to loop her arm around her best friend’s neck.

The spy huffed, but stayed silent, and for a moment they stayed like this again, in each other’s arms and appreciating the stillness around them, for a moment out of the buzzing activity and chaos of life.

“I’m sorry I never made you feel you were making me happy.”

With one last squeeze, Blake sighed in her ear before pulling back, gently brushing one of Weiss’ pale lock behind her ear with a small, sad smile on her lips.

“Let’s go,” the spy murmured, but in the silence, Weiss could hear easily. “Let’s get you to your wife.”

Blake offered her hand, and Weiss hesitated only for a second before taking it firmly, and it made the spy smile before, gently, Blake guided her out of the crawl space, slowly.

****

Weiss lagged behind Blake as they were still liked with their hands, and she felt like a child being dragged to her punishment, with her head held down and her feet dragging with each step she took, and she was slowly being aware of the place that her spy was guiding her to.

That hallway where she had taken Yang on a tour, shortly after they met, where the large window overlooking the frozen lands was, and she felt her heart stop when she saw Yang there, and she stopped in her tracks, Blake doing the same.

Weiss felt her heart thump in her chest at the sight of her. Yang looked… Just like Blake had described. Somehow Weiss hadn’t believed her, telling herself that her spy had exaggerated, but even with a little distance and by looking at her profile, Weiss could see the tired features on her wife’s face, could see those broad, strong shoulders drooped as Yang was nibbling at her fingernails anxiously, her arms uneasily crossed over her chest. The usual flow of shining, perfectly kept blonde hair of her wife was now unkept, pulled back in a messy ponytail that missed a couple strands that fell limply across her shoulder.

Now that Yang was so close to her, Weiss wanted to run back to her crawl space while her wife hadn’t noticed them, and if Blake hadn’t been there, she was sure she would have, being the coward that she was. But her spy only tightened her hold on Weiss’ hand with a warning glare that froze her in place.

They must have made a sound, or Yang was just at that point of sending glances around her, but soon, the blonde’s lilac eyes turned their way, at first dismissive, before doing a double take upon realising who was there and Weiss felt a cold sweat form on the back of her neck when Yang turned towards them, her whole body perking up with recognition.

But she relaxed when she saw the light back in Yang’s eyes, a small glimpse of hope shining in her lilac eyes as her wife quickly made her way closer.

“Thank you,” Yang breathed to Blake, who elegantly dipped her head. “Thank you so much, I…”

Stopping in front of Weiss and visibly not really knowing what to do, as it was clear the tall blonde wanted to pull her in her arms but didn’t know if Weiss would allow it, Yang kept opening and closing her hands by her sides, before one of her hands reached up and brushed back one of the loose strands behind her ear, nervously.

“Weiss, I…” Yang started slowly, but it was clear that the words were crowding her mouth as she kept opening and closing her mouth for a moment, not knowing what to say first. “I’m so sorry, I never meant for any of this to happen, I never-”

“Are you alright?” Weiss interrupted with a quiet voice, remembering the blood on Yang’s lips and her bound hands, back in the bandit camp.

Of course, Yang would be healed by now even without Jaune’s help as she was sure, her wife’s Aura was a strong one, but she was asking more for her well-being than her wounds. And maybe Yang understood, because the blonde offered a small, nervous smile.

“I’m better now,” her wife whispered.

A moment of silence surrounded them for a moment, and Weiss could see how Yang was fidgeting, toying with her nails and the hem of her shirt, before she swallowed, her eyes glancing from Weiss to Blake, nervous.

“Can we talk? Alone?” Yang asked, softly still but she took a step closer, extending a hand to touch her.

In this fragile state, the sight of a hand approaching her with a silhouette towering over her made Weiss recoil as she pressed against Blake’s side, squeezing the spy’s hand out of fear, and Blake instantly took half a step in front of her, shielding her.

Yang’s face fell along with her hand at the sight, but Blake raised a peaceful hand to the blonde, before speaking over her shoulder at Weiss, who was staring right in front of her.

She was strangely reminded of all those times when they were children, just like this, when she wasn’t brave enough to speak to her father alone. The very sight of him frightened her for as long as she could remember, and Blake had been this reassuring presence keeping her from running away, shielding her from incoming harm growing up. She shortly wondered what she would have done if she never stumbled on her, when she was just a child.

“Weiss,” Blake spoke softly, quietly, and it was enough to earn her attention as she looked up into her best friend’s amber eyes. “It’s okay. You know Yang would never hurt you. Right?”

The last part was directed at Yang, and by the way Blake stepped a little more in front of her, Weiss could guess the warning, cold glare Blake was staring at Yang with, and the skin of her wife paled in front of it.

After all, Blake had always been very protective of Weiss. In a part of her mind, Weiss was glad that it hadn’t changed.

“I would never,” Yang breathed out, the very thought bringing tears to her eyes. “Weiss, I would never do anything to harm you, I…”

Bringing a hand to her chest as she suddenly was out of breath, Yang stepped back, her free hand blindly reaching behind her until her hand met with the wall that she leaned into.

“I need to sit down,” the blonde mumbled as she slowly slid to the ground, and proceeded to take deep breaths, slowly.

Feeling a little more in control now that the towering silhouette was nowhere to be seen, Weiss blinked, her attention turning to Yang that was sitting on the ground now, and she looked up at Blake for a second, seeing her nod imperceptibly. Without letting go of her best friend’s hand, Weiss slowly stepped closer to her wife, hesitating for just a second before brushing the back of her fingers against those soft, blonde locks.

Instantly Yang looked up at her, and for a moment they observed each other, and even though she felt numb Weiss could feel the tiniest flicker of warmth spark to life in her chest, and this time she did not recoil when Yang, slowly, reached a hand to her, but it went to her ankle, loosely wrapping around her calf. The blonde only wanted to touch her, Weiss knew she liked touching, that she was a tactile person. Yang didn’t want to trap her, or hurt her. She should have remembered, instead of reverting all the way back to her default fear.

“Are _you_ alright?” Yang asked in a tight, strangled voice.

“No,” Weiss answered honestly, and she felt Blake giving a short squeeze of her hand, encouraging. “And I won’t be for a while.”

“I’m so sorry, Weiss,” Yang said, swallowing thickly. “If I had known this would happen-”

“This isn’t your fault,” she interrupted softly, glancing at Blake and nodding at the spy before letting go of her hand, signaling to her that she was in control, now. “This is… How I am. I let it go to my head and… and I let it spiral out of control.”

“I would never hurt you,” Yang said again, and the way her eyes were full of tears made her heart pull, somewhere in her numbness.

Weiss dipped her head guiltily, darting her eyes away.

“I know,” she murmured.

As Yang closed her eyes and bowed her head, letting her forehead bump against Weiss’ thigh, she petted her wife’s head again, slowly threading her fingers through the blonde locks again. In this moment, as she could feel the soft warmth of her wife seeping though her clothes, Weiss felt exhausted, and she wanted nothing more than her bed and to sleep forever. Maybe, if she was lucky, with Yang.

“Why didn’t you tell me about the bandits?” She asked quietly, tired already from all of this.

“I didn’t want you to think differently of me,” her wife pressed her face against her thigh, as if to hide.

“Why would I care if your mother is a bandit? My father was a tyrant. We are not our parents.”

At that, Yang raised her head to look at her, and she could read all the guilt and remorse in her wife’s eyes as it weighted heavily on her chest, and Weiss looked away, her, too, ashamed of her own actions.

“I’m sorry I was a… an asshole,” Weiss spoke slowly, remembering the many times Yang spoke the words in Valese, to describe her general, mostly. “I should have asked if you were alright earlier than now. I… should have talked to you earlier than now, instead of making you worry.”

“I’m sorry I got your best friend hurt,” Yang let out, bowing her head in shame. “I… I should have known Raven would do something like this.”

They both looked to the side towards Blake, who was presently leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, and the spy merely grimaced, brushing the words aside like it was nothing.

“Let bygones be bygones,” Blake only let out. “As long as this is over with. I might look fine, but I just woke up from being severely injured, and I’d rather go to bed, if it’s alright with both of you.”

“Going to bed sounds nice,” Weiss nodded shortly.

“Can I join you?” Yang asked, and the amount of hope in her voice nearly made her smile. Nearly.

“Even better.”

“Good! Then I’m going to bed,” Blake declared, before starting away.

But before she was too far, Weiss stopped the spy for a second, and wordlessly hugged her, relieved to feel Blake hugging her back just as tightly as her, and she closed her eyes, burying her face in the crook of the spy’s neck.

“I meant what I said, earlier,” she murmured to her best friend. “I don’t know where I would be without you. I don’t know _what_ I would be without you.”

“Neither do I,” Blake only said back with a soft smile, and kissed her temple, like she had done so many times before as she pulled away. “Now go to bed, you look like a walking corpse.”

“Says the girl with a hole in her stomach,” Weiss tried to joke, but it fell oddly in her own ears.

Still, Blake pulled her tongue at her as she usually did, and it made her chuckle quietly as she watched the spy leave, hearing the slow exhale Blake let out as she brought a hand to her stomach. All this time, Blake had hid she was unwell for her sake, because she knew Weiss needed her strong.

Another wave of guilt rose and numbness filled her chest again, and she would have stood there if it wasn’t for Yang, now standing near her, hesitating before slowly touching her elbow to catch her attention. She didn’t recoil this time, instead turning to her wife and gently took her hand, appreciating the familiar touch.

“We will talk more later,” Weiss proposed, softly squeezing her hand. “Alright?”

With a nod and a small smile, Yang accepted, and she let Weiss guide her to their bedroom, and when they laid down, Weiss nearly fell asleep as soon as she felt Yang pressing closer against her back, and only now she realised just how exhausted she was.

****

For the next few weeks, Weiss knew she was distant. She had not… fallen so low in years, even Blake knew, and she was immensely glad that Yang only gave her all the space she needed. In return, Weiss asked for Yang to take her place in the throne room for a while, until she was… better.

She hated feeling like this. Everything had been going so well, and suddenly… But she knew it would only get better. Blake was here with her. Yang was there too.

Weiss was in the stables, for now, her favorite place in the whole wide world when everything felt overwhelming. There was something soothing in the company of the horses, in the knowledge that she could tell them anything and they would never tell a soul, and… And they were glad when she took care of them. She would always bring extra treats in her pockets for them.

Her horse knew it well enough, as he tried to lip her pockets as soon as he saw her approach, and it made her laugh as she offered a sugar cube, knowing it would take only a second before it was gone.

Weiss cooed sweet nothings as she brushed the fuzzy, soft coat of her horse, taking the time to work the tangles in his mane and to clean his hooves too. It took some time, soothed her a little, but not enough, as she looked towards the stable doors and felt entirely unwilling to leave, felt not strong enough to get back to her life.

“Dammit,” Weiss cursed under her breath, pressing her face against her horse’s side, breathing in the strong scent of the animal.

A soft snort sounded behind her, and Weiss looked towards it to see her wife’s horse that was observing her curiously, the tall ears standing straight on the animal’s head and liquid brown eyes looking at her. A smile pulled her lips at the sight, and she took the brushes again, stepping closer.

“Hey, you,” she said softly to the horse, observing its noble head turning a little to the side as she got closer. “I don’t think we were properly introduced.”

Searching in her pocket, Weiss offered a sugar cube to the horse, and the animal sniffed her face for a moment, before letting out a loud puff of air in her face. Then, the horse took the cube, nickering softly.

And so, Weiss did the same routine with her wife’s horse, brushing and cleaning the horse’ hooves, and when she was done Weiss was gently scratching under the horse’s jaw, just like she saw Yang do a million times before.

“You know her best,” Weiss murmured to the horse, gently petting its head. “Do you think she will forgive me?”

The horse snorted for only response, and she sighed, scratching the noble head one last time before pulling away, and now, she felt steady, or steadier than when she had entered the stables. So, grabbing a nearby cloth, Weiss wiped her hands as she slowly made her way towards the doors, to get back to her life, until she noticed in the corner of her eye that someone was there, standing still.

Looking up, Weiss saw her wife there in the doorway, observing her silently, and Weiss smiled at her, seeing that Yang responded to it in the same way. So she finished wiping her hands with the cloth before leaving it on a nearby shelf as she made her way to Yang, slowly, before stopping in front of her, leaning her shoulder against the doorframe.

“Hi,” she quietly let out, wondering what Yang was doing here but glad to see her still.

“Hey,” her wife spoke just as softly. “How are you?”

With a quiet hum, she shifted against the frame, looking away as she shrugged a single shoulder.

“Good, I guess,” she finally answered. “How was your day?”

“Good.”

She nodded, shortly. “Good.”

An awkward silence rested in the air between them, and Weiss hated every second of it as she shifted again against the frame, rubbing her hands against her trousers. Ever since she went missing, Yang had been… _extremely_ careful around her, with her words, with her touch, and Weiss couldn’t help but feel like Yang didn’t want to engage in anything, just in case it was too much for Weiss. But that led to moments like these, where they simply stood there, in silence. Like strangers again.

Having enough of this silence, Weiss took in a sharp breath before clearing her throat, but still refused to look at Yang, at least, for now.

“So… What are you doing here?” She finally asked, not really knowing what else to say.

“I was wondering if you would join me for dinner.”

“It would be my pleasure!” Weiss instantly perked up. Not that they never ate together, but if Yang _asked_ , then clearly, she had something special in mind. “Lead the way.”

With a beautiful smile that made her forget the shadows of her mind for a moment, Yang offered her hand, and she took it in a heartbeat, letting her wife guide her back inside the castle. They both greeted a few knights that crossed their paths, but nobody stopped for conversation.

At last, they turned a corner, and Weiss recognised one of the smaller, more private dining rooms, and it had several small windows that overlooked the courtyard, and she was surprised to see a handful of candles already lit across the table, a fire already roaring in the hearth and warming the place nicely.

Letting go of her hand, Yang skipped forward to pull a chair for her, and just the sight made her smile, made her heart feel a little lighter. Maybe what was going to happen next wouldn’t be as bad as she expected, after all.

“Thank you,” Weiss breathed to her wife when she took the seat.

Soon, they were both seated, and servants came out of nowhere to serve their food, and Weiss was surprised to see the fuming bowls in front of them, sniffing the air like a hound to get all the subtle scents that wafted from their meal. It was a hearty stew, hardly anything fancy, but it always made her think of the only thing Winter and their mother had prepared themselves, when Weiss had been just a child.

“My favorite,” she couldn’t help but smile as she looked up, seeing that Yang perked up again happily, a smile spreading on her lips. “This is… a nice surprise. Thank you.”

“I also have something for you,” her wife suddenly bolted out of her chair, apparently having forgotten said thing just out of this dining room.

As she watched Yang running out of the room, Weiss smiled as she relaxed in her chair, lowering her eyes at the stew in her bowl. She didn’t quite know why Yang was going out of her way like this for her, but it was greatly appreciated. Weiss reminded herself to tell her wife, and she thought of something to do, too. Yang couldn’t do all the work all the time, after all.

In a wink, Yang was back, holding a small, wooden box with a nice, dark blue silken bow holding it closed in her hands, and Weiss looked up at Yang just in time to see the second of hesitation before she stepped closer to her.

“What’s all this, Yang,” Weiss couldn’t help the small, incredulous laugh she let out at the sight of her wife standing beside her, toying a little nervously with the box before finally offering it to her. “If someone has something to be forgiven, it’s me, not you.”

Still, she took the box, glancing over at Yang for a second before pulling on the bow, and it fell smoothly. Finally, she opened the box, and for a moment she was breathless, her eyes widening.

“Happy birthday,” Yang quietly let out, and the nervousness was apparent in her voice as her wife stood near her.

“Wha… My birthday?” Weiss looked up at her wife, puzzled. “Yang, you really don’t need to do this, I mean…”

“You don’t like it?” She could hear the disappointment in the blonde’s voice, could almost _hear_ the drooping shoulders, but Weiss cradled the box protectively, looking up at Yang.

“No, I love it! It… it reminds me of you,” Weiss smiled to her wife before returning her attention on the box, at the gift inside.

With a thin, silver chain, a stone of fiery color shone back at her on its satin bed, the mix of red fading to yellow calling to a flame as it was hugged with a little more silver. The gem was small, but it was more than enough, curved up in a soft drop.

“I will have a little piece of you, just over my heart,” she continued quietly, one finger following the arc of the gem.

“Do you want to put it on?”

She glanced shorty at Yang, seeing her delighted little clap of hands as she slightly jumped on the balls of her feet, and it made Weiss chuckle as she nodded, letting Yang take the necklace. Slowly, Yang settled it around Weiss’ neck, and she couldn’t help the shiver running down her spine when she felt the warm fingers of her wife contrasting sharply with the cool metal of the necklace.

When Yang was done with the clasp, Weiss stood, intent on giving Yang a good look of her gift on her as she pulled on her tie to take it off, but her wife shooed her hands away to do it herself, and Weiss let her. There was a silence as Yang worked her tie, and she looked up at Yang in the meantime, adoring the way her brows were furrowed in concentration and how the tip of a pink tongue poked out of her lips.

It was the first time in a while that they were this close, except when they went to bed. And when they did, Yang would spoon her and that was the end of it, had been ever since the bandit incident, and it was fine. Weiss didn’t need more, and Yang didn’t voice otherwise, either.

Now though, as Yang was standing so close to her and being her adorable self, Weiss wanted nothing more than to close the distance and kiss those lips, taste that pink tongue, for Yang to undress her and leave nothing but the necklace on her.

But that would have to wait, as Yang let out a small, victory cheer, before smoothly pulling on the tie until it was free, and Weiss felt the collar of her shirt open just enough for Yang to see the gem falling just at the start of her breasts, daintily resting just above the valley between. And judging from Yang’s expression, Weiss knew her wife had the same thoughts she had earlier.

When their eyes met, she saw her wife swallow thickly, the beautiful lilac eyes just a shade darker with want.

“It’s perfect,” Yang quietly let out.

Once again a silence fell on them, but this time it was thick, the tension heavy between them, and when Weiss took a step back to lean against the table, her wife followed, suddenly standing much closer than she did earlier. Weiss glanced at Yang’s lips for a second before returning her eyes to her wife, but Yang still caught her look, and a slow grin pulled her lips.

“Is there anything else you want for your birthday?” Her wife murmured, their lips barely a hair apart.

As she felt Yang’s hands lightly settling on her hips, Weiss smiled, spreading her legs ever so slightly but her wife caught the movement still.

“I can think of a few things,” she breathed, before letting her eyes slid shut, angling her head to taste those pretty, soft lips.

“So how is this ‘birthday party’ going?” Another voice suddenly sounded.

Jumping in surprise with a yelp, Weiss straightened her back to stand from the table, but she moved so fast that her head collided with Yang’s nose, and Weiss could feel it crack against her as pain blossomed from the hit. Both of them pulled away with matching groans of pain, Weiss cupping her head and Yang her nose, as they both looked up to the uninvited voice that had joined them.

Blake stood in the doorway, frozen in place, and she even had stopped chewing on her bite of apple as her amber eyes were glancing back and forth between Weiss and Yang, her feline ears jerked back.

“I interrupted something, didn’t I?” The spy mumbled guiltily, grimacing apologetically. “Sorry.”

Glaring at her best friend, Weiss rubbed the starting swelling on her forehead before turning her attention on Yang, and she perked in alarm at the sight of blood on Yang’s upper lip, her hands instantly going to her.

“Oh, Gods, I’m so sorry!”

“It’s okay,” Yang waved her words aside, dabbing her nose to see the amount of blood on her fingers. “I’ve seen worse. But look at you!” Her wife snorted, reaching a bloodied hand to her head that Weiss dryly swatted to the side. “You look like you might be growing a horn!”

Rubbing the swelling on her head again, Weiss turned to Blake, who was now so very interested in the apple she was eating and decidedly avoiding her stare as she was slowly stepping back and out of the room, hoping to discreetly leave them be. But Weiss wasn’t about to let her get away, not after ruining this moment with her wife.

“Blake.” She saw the shoulders of her spy jump at the sound of her name, before she looked up with the same expression a misbehaving puppy would have, her ears drooped well against her hair. “Make yourself useful and go fetch something for Yang’s nose.”

“Yes, my liege,” Blake instantly bowed before scurrying away.

“Really, it’s fine,” Yang insisted, rolling her eyes. “My dad hits harder than this.”

“Your father?!” Weiss gasped in horror, bringing a hand to her mouth.

It took a second for Yang to understand why Weiss was so horrified by what she had said, and as soon as she did, her eyes widened, and she vehemently shook her head.

“I meant when we sparred! I sparred with my dad, and, well, we both fight with our fists, so…” To finish her thought, Yang gestured vaguely at her bloody nose, a small, hesitant smile on her lips.

“Oh!” Weiss relaxed instantly, then blushed, embarrassed that she had instantly thought of the worst. “Oh, of-of course, I’m…Ugh,” Weiss sighed, sitting on the edge of the table as she ran a tired hand in her hair. “I had a long day…”

At that, Blake skidded in the room with a handkerchief in hand as she instantly offered it to Yang, who took it with a leisured hand, wiping her hands clean before pressing it against her nose. With her clean hand, Yang ran her fingers over the swelling on Weiss’ forehead, who flinched with a grimace at the touch.

“Maybe we should put some ice on that,” Blake commented quietly.

When both Weiss and Yang turned to her, the amber eyes of the spy once again glanced from one to the other, and Blake gave a short nod, lifting a finger in the air.

“I will be right back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I already worked most of the last chapter, there should be another one coming up soon, but the other will be much lighter, i promise. I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> And as always, thank you for reading <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last but not least! phew! We made it!

“What do you mean, you never celebrated your birthday?”

Sitting at the small table with their food finished, Blake, Weiss and Yang were chatting together, for the first time in a while, and Weiss was glad for this moment, a little normalcy that only proved to her wasn’t so far away now. But during their conversation, Weiss had mentioned never having received a birthday gift, which had spurred a question from Yang.

“Father never deemed it worthy of any kind of distinction,” Weiss shrugged, swirling the wine in her cup as she focused her attention on it.

“Ah.”

“Then after, I guess it was simply habit.”

“I see.”

A silence fell over the table then, while Blake was content to silently sip from her cup as Yang wore a thoughtful expression on her face, and Weiss sighed before downing the rest of her drink.

“So it was the first gift you were ever given?”

Looking up at her wife before her thoughts could darken again, Weiss blinked, a small smile pulling her lips.

“You mean after you, my Queen?”

It made Yang snort with a roll of her eyes, and she chuckled as she poured some wine in her cup again.

“Flatterer,” her wife winked at her. “But, yes.”

“Indeed, it is.”

“Then I shall make it my mission to catch up for lost time,” Yang spoke before sipping her wine, their eyes locking when Weiss looked up. “To remind you that you should be celebrated, too.”

And Yang held her stare, her expression serious as she drank from her cup, and Weiss swallowed thickly, having a few ways in mind how they could ‘celebrate’ her, but the moment was once again ruined by the increasingly loud, endless sipping coming from Blake’s side of the table. Irritated by Blake’s constant interruption, Weiss snapped her head towards her spy, letting out a loud, sharp sigh that Blake definitely heard.

“You know, I’m starting to miss that time you weren’t married,” the spy grumbled when she had Weiss’ attention, returning her cup on the table. “I’m tired of feeling left out.”

“Maybe you should try to find someone,” Yang thoughtfully said, and it was clear in Yang’s face that she took Blake’s words to heart.

“Maybe you should pay a visit to Sun next time he’s around,” Weiss dryly let out, knowing that Blake was only being a brat.

“Ugh,” the spy instantly threw her head back. “I wish, but he’s only around once every blue moon,” Blake grumbled unhappily, leaning her chin on her palm as it was her turn to, wistfully, make her wine swirl in her cup.

As Weiss stared at her friend, she hid her smirk in her cup as she could see Yang staring at them, the blonde now knowing that this was something out of her hands, and she narrowed her eyes when she saw that Blake noticed her stare, arching a curious eyebrow.

“I know someone who would be _very_ happy with your attention,” Weiss slowly let out, feeling her smirk only growing when she saw the blush instantly dusting the spy’s cheeks, amber eyes darting away.

When Blake only stayed stubbornly silent, grumbling incomprehensibly under her breath as she sipped her wine, it made Weiss chuckle, happy that for once, she wasn’t the one being teased. In the corner of her eyes, Weiss could see Yang making wild gestures to silently catch her attention, and when she turned to her wife, Yang mouthed a question instead of voicing it.

“Who is it?”

“Ilia,” Weiss answered nonetheless, seeing how Blake sat up straighter in her chair. “She’s part of the garrison guarding the nearby mine in Mantle, but she worked with Blake on several occasions in the past, because of her… abilities.”

“Abilities?” Yang repeated, interested as she planted her elbows on the table and rested her chin in her hands, looking like a child about to be told a story.

“She’s a faunus,” Blake continued, if begrudgingly. “Chameleon faunus. It’s… quite useful for a spy.”

“And they also have near perfect vision in the dark,” Weiss reminded. “Which is also useful for a spy.”

“But why isn’t she a spy?” Yang asked innocently, furrowing her brows. “Why isn’t she working with you?”

Pinching her lips, Weiss looked over at Blake, who once again was loudly and endlessly sipping from her cup. But after being kicked in the shin several times under the table by Yang, Blake set her cup down with a sigh, her shoulders drooping slightly.

“We had a… disagreement.”

“More like a fight,” Weiss commented in her cup.

“Oh,” Yang frowned again. “What happened?”

“Just… a different point of view.”

“An entire wing of the castle went down in flames,” Weiss reminded dryly.

“It wasn’t that bad,” Blake waved her words aside.

“She also electrocuted several guards to escape.”

A long groan sounded as Blake sank in her chair, while Yang only nodded her head, impressed.

“I like this girl.”

“Blake doesn’t think she’s good enough for her,” Weiss informed her wife, ignoring the way Blake nearly jumped out of her seat with an offended scoff.

“It’s not _just_ that!”

“Wait what?” Yang said at the same time. “Blake, anyone would be lucky to have you!”

Another blush darkened Blake’s cheeks at the words as her ears jerked back, for a second the spy losing her train of thought before firmly shaking her head, a severe, stern look sent Weiss’ way.

“You know it’s not that simple,” Blake grumbled, her ears flat on her head. “I do believe that she deserves better than me, but she’s… I’m…” A sigh softened the spy’s expression as she looked away, and Weiss knew without needing to look that Blake’s knee started to bounce under the table, restlessly. “I can’t just forgive her.”

“Maybe you should,” Weiss countered softly, lowering her eyes to her cup. “After all, I _did_ kill my father to be free. For us to be free. You should understand.”

“But she threatened _you_!” Blake snapped, slamming a fist on the table. “Your father I understand, but you? You were as much a victim as we were!”

Looking up at her best friend, she did just in time to see the spy grimace, drawing the tight fist from the table as she whispered a quiet ‘sorry’, but their eyes met just the same, and Blake held her stare as she always did, with righteous fury burning in her eyes. Sometimes, Weiss couldn’t help but think that Blake should rule this kingdom instead of her. Maybe things would change at a faster pace.

“All I am saying, is it’s been years, Blake,” Weiss spoke softly. “And contrary to what you might think, I _do_ want you to be happy.”

“I am,” Blake instantly argued, stubborn.

“And I believe you, but I know you two were close, once upon a time. I know you miss her. So, with the way things are changing,” Weiss paused, looking over to Yang who was still listening on her side of the table, making herself discreet. “Maybe it would be time… for a second chance? To at least be friends again?”

As a silence settled over them, she felt Blake’s stare on her for a moment before it turned to Yang, who only offered a small smile to the spy, wordlessly letting the conversation go between them. And after nearly a full minute of silence, they heard Blake exhaling tiredly, before bringing her cup to her lips.

“I… I’ll think about it,” the spy grumbled in her cup, the feline ears drooped on her head.

With that, Weiss smiled at her best friend, who begrudgingly ignored it in favor of staring at the bottom of her empty cup, before turning to wink at her wife, who only arched a single eyebrow. Without Blake knowing and with Yang’s help, maybe Weiss will play matchmaker for a few weeks.

The conversation Yang started after that was lighter, and Weiss could see Blake relax as the two conversed with ease, and Weiss only sat back in her chair, and maybe it was because of the amount of wine she had consumed but she felt warm, a fuzzy feeling sparking to life in the depths of her chest as she watched over them. She was just so unbelievably happy that her two favorite people of the whole wide world got along so well, and she always loved watching their growing friendship.

Weiss sometimes wondered what she would have done if Blake hated her new wife.

****

Weiss knew she was at that stage where she was just happily drunk, and she gladly followed Yang when her wife took her hand after saying goodnight to Blake, and was just happy to follow her anywhere they would go, be it simply to their bedroom or to the end of the world.

The rest of the evening had been pleasant, and Weiss had told her wife how she had appreciated it. It had been a long time since she took the time to just sit and chat around a good meal. Yang had smiled, visibly happy that Weiss had enjoyed herself.

Once they were in their bedroom, Weiss had hoped for a kiss or two, maybe something more, but Yang had simply kissed the back of her hand before letting it go in favor of working Weiss’ tie, gently helping her get ready for bed just like always, and she simply stood there, swaying a little on her feet. How she wished for a little closeness, it had been a while, after all.

But Yang didn’t tease, didn’t led her on like she did earlier, or any other time that she wanted sex; she was simply being gentle and kind as she expected Weiss to simply fall in bed and go to sleep.

But even if they were about to have sex, she… wouldn’t be quite comfortable with it. They still needed to talk about what happened, and Weiss had been delaying the inevitable, this conversation looming over their heads sometimes too much to bear.

But tonight, even if she felt limp and alcohol flooded her senses, Weiss didn’t want to delay this pending talk again. With how vocal Yang always was, she thought it a wonder in itself that her wife hadn’t said a word about it, but Weiss knew Yang would listen if she started it. So, gathering her courage with both hands, Weiss gently reached up and grasped Yang’s hands just as her wife was pulling her tie free.

“Yang, I…” With a sigh as she could feel her nerves not quite numb from the alcohol, Weiss swallowed, stubbornly staring at Yang’s chin instead of her eyes. It was less scary that way. “We should… talk.”

For a moment Yang stilled, and Weiss chanced a glance upwards, meeting her eyes for a second, and she could see how her wife’s features grew soft but serious.

“Are you sure?”

Furrowing her brows at the question, Weiss side-eyed her wife as Yang moved, stepping back slowly to sit on the edge of the bed, keeping Weiss standing in front of her.

“Of course I’m sure,” she scoffed, but without any real bite to it. “There are several things that, I believe, should be addressed.”

“I know, I meant…” With a sigh, Yang grasped her hands again, holding them between them as her lilac eyes were fixated on them. “Are you sure you’re ready?”

Pinching her lips, Weiss only stared at her wife, unsure if she had to feel offended by the words or glad for the care of them, but before she could add something, Yang wetted her lips, keeping her lilac eyes where they had been, focusing on their hands.

“I don’t mean to offend, I just… You’ve barely been yourself for weeks, and I just want to make sure that whatever this conversation might bring, you will be okay afterwards.”

The tension that had settled in her shoulders instantly vanished like snow in the sun, and Weiss felt a soft smile pull her lips as she, slowly, drew one of her hands from Yang’s to bring it up, resting it against her wife’s nape. With a small sigh, Weiss leant over and pressed a kiss against Yang’s forehead, closing her eyes as she did.

“You truly are a gift,” Weiss murmured against her wife’s skin. “I was wondering why you didn’t try to start this conversation earlier.”

“I didn’t want to rush you,” Yang let out just as quietly, her arms looping around her waist in a gentle hug. “You made progress, I can see it, but I didn’t want to assume…”

“Did you really go to the bandits by yourself?” She asked after Yang trailed off, keeping her voice quiet and her eyes closed as she leaned her cheek on top of Yang’s head.

In the silence of the room, in its stillness like this, with the two of them so close together, Weiss didn’t believe that the conversation would turn to something bad. Of course she was afraid it would, but it wasn’t what she aimed for, and knew that Yang did, too.

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Weiss asked, pleaded as she could feel the faint pull of her heart. But this time, she wasn’t about to let it take her down. In Yang’s arms like this, she was stronger than her doubts.

“How could I tell you?” Yang sighed in the crook of her neck, and Weiss petted her head, signaling that she was listening. “You were barely sleeping for days because you were wondering what they wanted, why they killed and burned and… It turned out, it was my mother, setting up the perfect scene for my escape.”

“Your escape?”

“Yes,” the blonde sighed again, burying her face deeper in her neck. “She said she wanted to help me. Claimed that we were too alike for me to truly want to stay in this marriage, just like she did. That I was born for adventures, that I should just leave with her, and… To make it easier, she would have killed you, so the people would believe a kidnapping or something like that if I was afraid of what they might think.”

A beat of silence surrounded them as Weiss processed what Yang had told her, and she didn’t stop petting her wife’s head, and she finally scoffed, thinking back to that… bandit, staring at her with a smirk on her face. If Yang hadn’t been at the mercy of her knife, Weiss would have wiped it off her face in a second.

“Your mother is very… obnoxious.”

It made Yang snort, chuckling quietly in the crook of her neck as her strong arms squeezed her tighter against her, and Weiss continued, feeling the scowl form on her face.

“As if she could have killed me. I could take her any time.”

“She’s not someone to be trifled with,” Yang commented quietly after a beat passed. “Even I know that.”

“And I am not?” Weiss felt herself prickling.

“I didn’t say that,” the blonde retorted dryly, pulling away just enough to stare at her. “It’s not a competition, Weiss.”

“No, it’s not,” she scoffed, feeling the tingles of anger in the pit of her stomach, irritation steeling her features. “That woman comes into _my_ kingdom, kills _my_ people and threatens my _wife_ , and _she_ thinks she could have won against me? If you hadn’t been there, if she hadn’t drawn a blade against you, I would have killed her without a second thought.”

This time, Yang completely pulled away, even sat a little farther on the bed to create distance between them, and Weiss felt at a loss at the sudden lack of touch, staring with wide eyes at her wife before sighing, lowering her eyes.

“You would have stopped me.”

“She’s my mother, Weiss.”

“So? She threatened your _life_ , Yang.”

“It was only to get your attention.”

Opening her mouth to argue more before giving up, knowing it would serve no purpose except riling her up for nothing, Weiss exhaled slowly and instead turned to sit on the edge of the bed, too, beside Yang. Without seeing, she felt Yang touch her back, lightly, as if to make sure she was really there.

“Back there, in the bandit camp, you were…” The blonde paused then, as if she didn’t know what could describe her best.

“Out of control?” Weiss offered with a quiet, bitter huff, looking away. “Yes, I was. I thought they took you, I thought they were hurting you, I…” Pausing to swallow thickly, she crossed her fingers together over her lap, and she kept her eyes on them, on her hands clasped together to keep them from shaking. “I would have killed them for you. All of them.”

She could hear Yang shifting behind her, and she closed her eyes when she felt her wife’s warmth against her back, for a moment alleviating the weight that had settled on her shoulders.

“You say you would have killed them as if there were no consequences to it,” Yang murmured. “Killing shouldn’t be spoken of so lightly. It should always be an act of last resort. That’s what my dad always said. That’s why he uses his fists instead of a blade.”

If anything, it made Weiss smile bitterly, knowing that she was quite unfazed with the act of taking a life, now. Or, at least, it didn’t get to her as much as it did.

“You’re about ten years too late to say that to me.”

“Ten years?” A pause. “You would have been young…”

“I was fifteen, and… I didn’t kill, that day, it was Blake, but it happened right in front of me, and she did to protect me. It was an act of last resort, too.”

“Fifteen, huh…”

“The consequences of taking those bandits’ lives would have been nothing if they had hurt you, or… Or worse,” Weiss continued quietly. “I was terrified for you. I thought I had lost you. It was an act of last resort in my book.”

When a silence stretched behind her, she took in a sharp breath as she squared her shoulders and straightened her back, swallowing her nerves again.

“An act of last resort that would never have happened, if you’d tell me your plan.”

As the soft warmth of her wife drew back from against her, Weiss shifted on the bed, turning to face Yang just as the blonde’s shoulders drooped, and she didn’t miss the way Yang hung her head guiltily. For a moment, she simply watched as Yang toyed with her fingers, visibly unsure of what to do, what to say. Even now, Weiss felt her heart pull for her wife. She couldn’t even imagine being in her shoes right now.

“What _was_ your plan, anyway?” She asked, quietly. “To tell her to leave?”

“When I figured it was my mom, I, ah…” Yang shifted uneasily in front of her, still not meeting her eyes. “You sleep more soundly the mornings after we have sex, so…”

“Oh.”

“I left before dawn, I wanted to be back before Blake would come to the bandits,” Yang quickly pressed, not giving her the time to say something more. “I just… I know you care deeply about your people, Weiss. Your soldiers too. I didn’t want to be the cause of their deaths, I-I didn’t want to see you mourn them, knowing they died because of me, so I left, hoping I would come across bandit scouts, and I did. I asked them to take me to their leaders, but they wanted to fight instead, so we did. I knocked one out, and the other yielded, and finally he agreed to take me to see his leader. So we carried the other scout, and at the gates he bound my hands together, for me not to try something, and…”

The blonde shrugged wordlessly, wetting her lips but still kept her eyes down, toying with a fraying seam of her sleeve.

“Then I spoke to Raven, trying to make her understand that I absolutely didn’t want to leave with her, that I couldn’t care less about her ‘help’, and I was just starting to get through to her when you… arrived.”

A silence rested over them for a moment as Weiss only stared at her wife, wondering what brought Yang to think that this was preferable than just trying to root the bandits out, and she steeled herself, swallowing thickly as she squared her shoulders, thinking back to what Blake had said, in the crawl space.

“Yang,” Weiss called, softly, because she wanted her wife to look at her for what she was going to ask. She needed to see the look in her eyes, to be sure. “Did you really think I would be angry that it was your mother? That I would have blamed you?”

And when Yang didn’t say anything, even looked away, Weiss couldn’t believe how sharp the pain spreading in her chest was. It hurt more than any other blade piercing her skin, and for a moment, she was overwhelmed by it, breathless for a moment as if the realisation was a blow straight to her gut, and Weiss blinked, looking down at the space between them, trying to find her voice again.

“What-what did I do wrong to not earn your trust?” She asked in a low, raspy voice, feeling her eyes welling up. “Was it something I did, something I said? I always tried my best to treat you right, but-”

“It’s not you!” Yang interrupted vehemently, even reaching a hand to touch her arm, briefly. “It’s… it’s me. I didn’t think you would be angry, not truly, but rather I was… ashamed. I felt guilty.”

“Ashamed?” Weiss repeated with a snort, not believing her ears. “Why? That bandit came here on her own accord, without even telling you.”

“But she came _for_ me-”

“Without you asking for it,” Weiss interrupted, firmly. “You have nothing to be guilty of. You are not responsible for someone else’s actions. Trust me, I know,” she insisted, gently lifting Yang’s chin for their eyes to meet. “Your mother brought this on herself.”

A long silence accompanied her words as Yang seemed to mull them over, and Weiss took her chances, shifting a little closer to her wife and, with the tips of her fingers, touched Yang’s knee, lightly, and the blonde smiled, chuckling a little.

“Are you going to make me feel silly again because I thought you’d see me differently, if you knew my mom was a bandit?”

It made her frown in a heartbeat as she shook her head, but she still angled her head to try and catch her wife’s eyes, hoping for her to see how sincere she was.

“It was never my intention to make you feel silly, Yang,” Weiss spoke quietly, and blindly searched for her wife’s hand to give it a squeeze. “You were unsure of what to do, and I can understand the sentiment. If someone is silly here, it’s me.”

“Really? Why?”

“Because I dismissed all the times you tried to talk with me, and I… I left you alone in the wake of my rash actions. It wasn’t just silly of me, it was… unfair to do this to you, when you only tried to do the right thing. I commend you for venturing into enemy territory, alone, to try and avoid bloodshed,” Weiss insisted, holding her wife’s stare. “What you did was really brave, and I… I feel like a complete fool, knowing that I destroyed everything you were trying to do.”

“You weren’t being silly,” Yang softly let out after a beat. “You were in shock, and your best friend got hurt, badly. And… I should have told you. Instead, I made you think that I didn’t trust you, that I was afraid of you…” With a deep, long sigh, the blonde paused to simply look at her, before shifting closer, lightly pressing their foreheads together. “I’m sorry, Weiss.”

“I’m sorry too,” Weiss closed her eyes, glad to feel Yang so close again. “I’m sorry for disappearing on you.”

“You came back,” Yang murmured as she moved in to hug her, and Weiss hugged her back instantly. “It’s okay.”

“Next time, let’s just talk to each other,” she huffed in Yang’s ear, squeezing her wife tighter against her. “It will avoid a lot of pains.”

Laughing quietly in her ear, Yang nuzzled her temple for a moment and Weiss simply sank in the embrace, releasing a small sigh too. Once again, she had feared too much, delayed this conversation for nothing, and for the first time in weeks, Weiss felt light, like the weight that had been sitting on her chest all this time had been lifted from her. She could tell that Yang felt the same.

As they were in each other’s arms, Yang made them tumble to the side, eliciting a startled yelp from Weiss as the blonde only chuckled, and they found themselves laying on the bed, on their sides and facing each other, and Weiss took her wife’s hand as a silence rested over them, gently toying with her strong fingers.

She could feel Yang’s stare on her, but she kept her attention on her hand, letting her fingers climb and following the edge of her fingers, gently.

“How do you feel?” The blonde asked, her voice low and quiet but full of care and affection.

With a sigh, Weiss released the last of the tension still residing inside her, and she smiled at her wife, adoring the way her blonde hair fell everywhere across the pillows.

“Better,” she simply answered with honesty.

It made Yang smile, visibly relieved just with that, and she brought her wife’s hand to her lips to kiss her knuckles tenderly before pressing it against her cheek, craving for the touch already. But there was something Weiss was still wondering, for the situation had been… unclear about it.

“How… how long was I missing?”

It made Yang frown, confused, and Weiss looked away, ashamed that she had to ask.

“You don’t know?” Her wife sounded surprised, just as she expected.

“I’m… not really aware, when I’m like that.”

“Oh… You were missing for two days,” the blonde finally answered, shifting a little in front of her. “Where…where did you go?”

“Where did you think I went?” Weiss asked instead of answering, curious.

A single shoulder shrug answered her along with a quiet sigh, Yang glancing around as if she was still trying to find that answer even to this moment.

“I… don’t know. I thought that you left for good, that you left me here. Maybe you went to someplace I didn’t know, or maybe you were hiding in Blake’s room. You barely left her side all the way from the bandit camp, so I sat in Blake’s room, watched over her and hoped that you would… I don’t know. Turn up. I didn’t think you would leave to someplace else without her.”

Weiss could only agree with that logic. It was true, that she wouldn’t leave without Blake, without at least telling her that she was leaving. She would never do that to her best friend. Would never do that to Yang, either.

“I’m sorry,” Weiss murmured, once again pressing her lips against the back of Yang’s hand. “I’m so sorry, I… I would never leave without telling you, Yang.”

“Where did you go, then?”

“I was… hiding.”

“Hiding? From what?”

“Everything,” she let out, looking up at Yang with a sad smile. “I-I made a mistake, I slipped up, and everything went spiralling out of control and it all felt so overwhelming, and… I hid.”

“But… What happened?” Yang quietly asked, shifting a little closer. “What made it overwhelming?”

“Remember when I told you I tended to expect the worst of people?” Weiss asked instead. And when Yang nodded, her features serious, Weiss nodded too with a sigh. “When I realised that you… you didn’t tell about your mother, I… expected for the worst. That you lied to me. That you had been lying to me all this time, and you didn’t care about me, that you never did and… When that train of thought unspool, it’s unstoppable. So… I hid.”

“You know,” Weiss said with a humorless chuckle after a moment of silence. “Blake keeps saying I keep saving her, but… Blake saved me more times than both of us can count. She saved me from my father, from enemies… and even from myself, when it was all too heavy, and I just wanted to disappear. I know I wouldn’t be here today without her.”

Moving closer so Yang could wrap her arms around Weiss, the blonde gently held her, silently nuzzling her temple and Weiss closed her eyes, appreciating the touch.

“I’m sorry,” Yang murmured in her ear, and she wasn’t quite sure if her wife was apologising for the situation at hand, or for all the others that Yang hadn’t known. Weiss decided to take it for the former.

“I’m sorry too,” she let out just as quietly as Yang. “We should have had this conversation a long time ago.”

A quiet, soft hum sounded in her ear, and for a moment they were simply content to stay like this, Yang holding her, and Weiss gently reached a hand to brush the back of her fingers against her wife’s arm, up and down of it, signaling that she appreciated the affection. Still, the image of this bandit, this woman that claimed to be Yang’s mother, holding a knife to Yang’s throat still haunted her, still made her blood run cold as she could recognise the look in Raven’s eyes. A killer could recognise another, or that’s what her father used to say.

“So… Raven.”

It made Yang groan quietly, her wife burying her face deeper in the crook of her neck, and she leaned her cheek against those blonde locks, offering comfort or so she hoped to.

“Will you tell me about her?”

“There’s not much to tell,” Yang grumbled, her voice muffled. “She was married to my dad, stayed long enough for her to be pregnant and give birth, then left. I don’t know if she already had this group of bandits in Mistral, or if she traveled with them from Vale, but she’s been leading them ever since.” There was a pause then, and Yang’s hold tightened around her. “She… did the same thing before. Two other times. Every time it ruined my life, in some ways.”

“Really?” Weiss was saddened to hear this, and she shifted in her wife’s gentle hold, pulling back enough so she could see her face.

“She just… Makes enough noise to get our attention. And then…” A sigh escaped Yang’s lips, and Weiss leaned over to lightly press her forehead against Yang’s, and she could feel her tense frame relaxing a little. “When Ruby’s mom died, we were just kids, but I remember how hard Dad took it. He was never the same, even now. I know he truly loved her. And we didn’t really understand why Mom was gone, it was hard for us too, and Ruby was so young… And then Raven comes. Attacks several villages, wait for us to notice her. And then uncle Qrow went to see what all the fuss was about, because Dad… couldn’t. Turns out, Raven had heard about Summer’s death. She wanted to know if I wanted to leave with her, instead.”

“What?” Weiss couldn’t help the confusion coloring her voice.

“My thoughts exactly,” she saw the way Yang rolled her eyes. “It was the first time I heard about her, well, Dad told me that Summer wasn’t my mom, but it didn’t make sense that this stranger suddenly wanted me to go with her. I said no, of course. I couldn’t just leave with her, and… Ruby was so young, I-I had to take care of her, you know?”

Weiss nodded wordlessly, not knowing what to say, but it seemed to do the trick as Yang took a deep breath in, before exhaling slowly.

“The other time was just a couple years ago, actually,” the blonde continued, frowning. “But it had been so long, Dad didn’t think it was her, so he gathered some men and set out, just like you did. He first tried to parley, but that didn’t work,” Yang let out, bitter. “I realised who it was only when I came face-to-face with her, in the middle of the fighting. I saw my father’s best friend killed by Raven, because he recognised her too. Oobleck had been our teacher, a mentor for us, and he was killed because he stepped between us. And she just… asked how I’ve been, as if she hadn’t killed a man she knew, as if it was nothing, and I…”

Clearing her throat, Yang let a beat pass and Weiss didn’t press, only reaching over to loop her arm around her wife.

“I don’t know how she escaped,” the blonde shook her head, her brows still furrowed. “But I saw my dad grieve again, for nothing. Because Raven only did this stunt to let me know that I _could_ leave to join her, whenever I wanted. She would take me with arms wide open. So when I saw her _here_ , in Atlas, I didn’t- I didn’t want that to happen again. That’s why I went alone. That’s why I don’t want anything to do with her.”

“Even with all that,” Weiss asked a moment later, after lightly rubbing her wife’s back soothingly. “You would still stop me from killing her?”

“Yes.”

“That’s commendable.”

“No, it’s just… Well, she’s my mom, despite everything,” Yang sighed, fluttering her eyes open to look at her. “And… I don’t want you to be like her. She would kill you without a second thought, even if I asked her not to.”

“Very well,” Weiss sighed, squeezing Yang against her for a second. “If our paths cross again, may I at least be very rude to her?”

It made Yang laugh, even though it sounded tired and weak, but it was enough to crack a small smile on the blonde’s lips, her lilac eyes lit up with mirth dancing in them.

“Oh, you may,” Yang huffed, the smile still on her lips.

To see her wife finally smile made Weiss smile too, and she shifted, tilting her head enough to bump their noses together, and for a moment, she couldn’t care less that they were still fully clothed in bed, that things were still fresh, because she knew that it was only going to pass. Weiss knew they would be okay, and when Yang chuckled, this low, throaty chuckle that always sent a shiver down her back, Weiss nuzzled closer, and Yang sighed, allowing this moment of peace.

****

The days went by with Weiss slowly getting back to her duties just as spring was in full effect, the thaw slow but steady as the snow melted to unveil the land, and if Yang thought the courtyard was buzzing with activity before, now it was a non-stop, endless stream of people coming and going, and as Yang was impressed by it, Weiss was annoyed.

As much as the kingdom would flourish in those spare months of thaw, Weiss preferred the quietude of the winter.

Still, Weiss took advantage of the clear, cloudless sky and the warm breeze to show Yang around, finally managing to free her afternoon at the same time as Yang. So they saddled their horses and rode out in the afternoon sun, just the two of them.

For even with the warm breeze the air was still cold, and so they still needed to bundle up, but just as she had promised several months before, the land was… breathtaking. It wasn’t like the verdant gardens of Vale, or the lustrous jungles of Mistral, but Atlas still had its own miracle going on each year, flowers and moss and lichen overtaking the land in a variety of vibrant colors.

Weiss smiled at Yang when the blonde did as their eyes met, radiant in the sunlight, and Weiss returned her eyes to the scenery, taking in a deep breath to try and settle her heart that was once again trying to burst out of her chest.

All of that only for a smile, Weiss couldn’t help but laugh internally. She was really head over heels for her wife.

She refocused on her task when Yang guided her horse in front of her to avoid a puddle, and she saw the saddle bags full, the thick, warm blanket rolled tightly and strapped to the back of Yang’s saddle, and Weiss looked away, searching for the spot she had told her wife.

To _really_ spend some time together without interruption, Weiss had asked her wife to accompany her for a bite, away from the castle, and Yang had agreed, her, too, finding all the commotion of the castle more than dizzying. And here, with only the two of them in the peacefulness of the breeze, they could truly relax before going back into all the activity.

Finally, just a little on the side of a thick patch of evergreens, stood an old and massive oak tree, towering over a small pond, and Weiss had only good memories of the place. As such, she wanted to share her favorite place with her wife.

With a smile, Weiss pointed to the old tree, noting that Yang noticed it right away.

“We used to come here all the time, when I was young,” she told Yang, glancing at her shortly. “At first only Winter and I, and then at some point Blake would go with us. On the rare days of summer that is actually warm, we would swim here.”

With a chuckle, Weiss remembered the amount of splashing Blake always made when Winter had tried to show her how to swim. Weiss only ever laughed at the misery of her best friend.

“I couldn’t wait to show you!” She finished, turning to her wife with a smile.

“I wish I could show you the gardens, back at my dad’s castle,” Yang mused, sharing a smile of her own. “We used to play hide and seek in there, Ruby and I. Even just a few days before I came here, Ruby dragged me there, so we could play before I left.”

But talking about her sister always had the same result as Weiss saw without surprise Yang’s smile falter, noticed her shoulders drooping slightly in synch with the silent sigh she let out. Weiss knew Yang missed her sister.

And it was why, several weeks ago, Weiss had written Ruby a letter without Yang knowing. She had explained the situation, that Yang didn’t know about this letter as Weiss hoped to surprise her wife, and asked Ruby, if she was willing of course and if her duties allowed her to, to come for a visit. Weiss had insisted then, that Yang would be over the moon to see her sister again, and she had added that she would be delighted to meet Ruby, if she so chose to visit.

So far, no letter had reached Weiss yet, Ruby’s answer pending, and she didn’t know what to think of it. Maybe Yang’s younger sister was quite busy, or… The fact that it was a stranger writing to her maybe had rebutted Ruby. Weiss didn’t know. She guessed she should simply wait for a letter.

It was also another reason for this escapade, because even if she didn’t say anything, Weiss could see Yang staring out longingly through the window, would be more often lost in thought, and more than once Weiss had caught her re-reading the few letters that Ruby had sent her.

Yang was homesick. Weiss could understand, and only tried her best to cheer up her wife. She knew Blake did, too. Weiss had gone above and beyond to bring some things that Yang spoke of with fondness from her natal land, be it vegetables, fruits, games or textiles, but she knew it wasn’t the same.

She simply hoped that Ruby would give her an answer, soon. Maybe she should prepare for a travel in Vale, with Yang. Maybe it would cheer her up.

Before she could pursue this train of thought, Weiss was brought back to reality when she was nearly whacked in the head by a low branch of the oak tree, and Yang laughed when she saw her jump in surprise, before blushing in embarrassment.

They let the horses wander, knowing that a simple call would bring them back if needed, and instead they settled on the blanket, preparing their light meal under the warm, soothing touch of the sun. The conversation was light, mostly Weiss retelling how Blake nearly drowned in the pond behind them while Yang laughed, and they ate slowly, enjoying their time together.

Weiss had brought wine, too, and was currently draining her third cup when Yang brought hers down with a content sigh, and Weiss marveled at the way the sun caught in her hair, in her eyes as her wife stared out at the scenery, a small, content smile on her lips.

“I wanted to say thank you,” Yang let out suddenly, but her expression remained the same, content and happy.

Wordlessly raising her brows, Weiss stared at her wife curiously, sipping the last of her wine as Yang sent her a glance, huffing.

“I know you’ve been trying to cheer me up. I noticed.”

“Hm…” Weiss felt her brows furrow as she looked at the bottom of her cup, wondering if she poured herself another. “Did it work?”

“Most of the time, yes,” the blonde chuckled. “And it’s working now, too.”

“Then I deserve a reward!”

“A reward?” Yang huffed, her smile widening. “What do you have in mind?”

Setting her cup aside, Weiss sat up straighter on the blanket under the curious, fond stare of her wife, and she smiled too, warmth spreading from her chest to her limbs.

“I was thinking, a kiss?”

“Just the one?” Yang winked, already knowing where she was going with this. “How many are you willing to give?”

“Ah, my Queen,” Weiss dipped her head somberly, but still locked her eyes with Yang. “You already know the answer. For you, the amount is infinite.”

The low, throaty chuckle answering her made a delightful shiver run down Weiss’ spine as she watched Yang crawling closer, blinking slowly, and she swallowed when those beautiful lilac eyes stared intensely at her, through long, blonde eyelashes. Weiss could feel her heartbeat picking up with just that, as she waited for Yang to steal a kiss from her willing lips, already craving her heat and the softness of her skin. In the back of her mind, Weiss cursed the still too fresh air of the spring season, keeping them from doing anything more than simply kiss.

Finally, Yang closed the distance and instantly Weiss brought a hand up to cup her cheek, adoring the way Yang hummed in it when the blonde realised how eager she was, and when Yang pulled back for just a second, just to be more comfortable, Weiss swallowed again, feeling hot under the collar when Yang looked back at her with eyes half-lidded and heavy with want.

Cursing again the frigid air, Weiss was already chasing after Yang’s lips when she saw the way her wife’s lilac eyes flicked to the side for a second, but she didn’t give it more thought, instead tasting her lips again avidly. They shared no more than two kisses, and already Yang was pulling away, her eyes focused on something behind her.

Snapping her head to the side and about to curse the thing that was interrupting them into oblivion, Weiss felt herself tensing when she noticed how the horses, that were quietly grazing nearby, both stood completely still with their ears standing straight in front of them, staring away towards the castle. And Weiss realised that whatever they saw, Yang noticed it too.

As the blonde straightened her back, her eyes focused on something away, Weiss turned around, narrowing her eyes to try and catch what was going on, and she felt herself prickling when she recognised, in the distance, a lone rider coming their way rather quickly, probably galloping without restraint, and Weiss knew it was never a good sign. Both her and Yang jumped to their feet, the moment forgotten for now as her whole focus turned to the reason of this sudden interruption.

But as the rider kept closing in, Weiss felt confused, not recognising the bright red, flamboyant coat of the horse coming towards them, neither the red cloak flying freely in the wind, but beside her Yang gasped, slowly but surely jumping on the balls of her feet.

“Oh my Gods,” her wife let out, breathlessly, and Weiss could see how the blonde’s features brightened with recognition. “Oh my Gods! She’s here!”

As Yang was running towards the coming rider, her arms wide open and yelling happily, Weiss stared, confused, as she heard an equally happy yell coming from the rider, as the figure appeared to stand on the horse’s saddle and jumped in the air.

As Weiss was about to scream in panic, the number of injuries someone throwing themselves off a horse galloping that fast certainly astronomical, Yang didn’t seem the least bit concerned as, right in front of her eyes, the red figure was suddenly blurry, only a mass of red that was propelled towards the blonde with incredible speed as a trail of rose petals slowly settled behind.

Weiss couldn’t do much but bring her hands to her head when the red blur slammed into Yang without pain, apparently, and her wife was taken away with it. But they didn’t go far as, merely several paces later, Yang and the cloaked person were rolling and tumbling on the ground, both of them laughing heartily as they held each other.

“I can’t believe you’re here!” Yang was saying after sighing the last of her laughter, and when Yang squeezed the person tightly against her, Weiss could hear the strangled groan they let out. “I missed you so much!”

The pieces of the puzzle fell into place then as Weiss watched the red horse trotting closer happily as Yang’s horse met it halfway, and both touched noses like long-lost friends finding each other again.

“Yang, you’re snapping me in half!” A high-pitched, strangled voice let out, the red cloak wriggling desperately between Yang’s strong arms, and Weiss relaxed with a smile, guessing that this person was Yang’s sister.

Instantly the blonde released her hold, and the cloaked person rolled over, breathing exaggeratedly as the red hood fell from their heads, and Weiss was surprise to see dark brown hair spilling from the hood. When Yang told her about her sister, she had figured blond hair, like Yang and Taiyang.

“Sorry,” Yang grimaced as she jumped to her feet, but offered a hand to help her sister up, the smile on her lips so large that it nearly split her face in two. “I’m just really, _really_ happy to see you!”

“And I’m so happy to see you! I rode as fast as I could to get here, I barely stopped!” Ruby smiled right back at her sister with the same energy.

“But… why did you?” Yang’s happy bouncing slowed, instead her features taking a worried frown. “Is something wrong? Did something happen to Dad?”

“No! No no no,” Ruby laughed, patting Yang’s arm soothingly as her eyes turned to Weiss, curious. “I came because Weiss sent me a letter. Are you Weiss?”

Suddenly realising that she was staring with her mouth gaping, Weiss shook herself, instead clearing her throat as she clasped her hands against the small of her back, before bowing her head at Yang’s sister. After all, Ruby was a princess.

“I am,” she let out somberly, before returning her attention on the brunette, finding it fascinating that she had eyes of silver. “It is an honor to finally meet you. Thank you for coming as quickly as you did.”

“You sent Ruby a letter?” Yang asked quietly to her, her features twisting in confusion. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I would have ruined the surprise if I did so.”

“But… Why did you send her a letter?”

“She told me she feared you were missing home,” Ruby smiled, affection clear in her voice as the brunette looped an arm with her sister. “I was already thinking of coming, but that letter convinced me to come earlier.”

When Yang turned to her, staring at her with wide eyes, Weiss couldn’t help but look away as she dipped her head, wondering if she hadn’t overstepped. While Yang didn’t mention having a problem with Weiss meeting Ruby, she still did write a letter to her dear sister behind her back. After all that happened weeks prior, Weiss hoped she hadn’t made a mistake.

“I hope you don’t mind me taking this liberty, I wanted to cheer you up and I know you missed your sister, so I thought-”

“Thank you.”

Snapping her head up at the soft, breathed words, Weiss saw the way Yang was affectionately looking at her, the way her gorgeous lilac eyes were filled with warmth and endless gratefulness, and for a moment Weiss was speechless, opening and closing her mouth before clearing her throat, darting her eyes away as she felt her cheeks warming.

“You’re welcome,” she couldn’t help but mumble under her wife’s gaze.

Before she could add something more, Yang pulled away from her sister and stepped closer to her, cupping her cheek, and Weiss couldn’t do much but allow the kiss her wife stole from her. But when Yang’s teeth graze her lower lip, it sent a different kind of warmth down her spine, pooling in the pit of her stomach, and Weiss would be glad to simply give under it if Ruby hadn’t cleared her throat rather loudly.

“While I’m glad for you two, it would be nice if I could sit on something else than a saddle.”

Chuckling as she pulled away, Yang winked at her as she straightened her back, a teasing smile pulling her pretty pink lips, and Weiss’s eyes were drawn there for a second, swallowing thickly.

“It definitely deserves a reward,” Yang murmured in Atlesian, clearly for the two of them. “One that I will be glad to give you tonight.”

The hand on her cheek slowly drifted down to brush down her neck, catching her collar with a finger and tugging with the barest of pull, but it was enough for Weiss to understand the promise as she felt a warm, dizzying rush thrumming just under her skin and pooling in the pit of her stomach. As if Yang knew what effect she had on her, her wife smirked, lifting her chin just slightly, cockily, before turning away to her sister.

And Weiss simply stood there, already knowing that she would let Yang do whatever she wanted to do, already knowing that she had no willpower nor the intention of refusing Yang anything she wanted. Weiss might be ruling an entire kingdom and its people, but with her wife, she gladly gave her the reins.

And so she was watching Yang and Ruby walking away from her, towards the blanket that was still under the oak tree as she released the breath she had been holding, trying to forget how suddenly hot she had been. Turning her eyes to their surroundings, making sure nothing would disrupt this moment between the sisters, Weiss could see the flamboyant horse touching nose with her own, so small compared to the other two.

For a second she held her breath. For however loyal and brave the animal was, Weiss knew he was a little ornery, remembering the first few times he tried to bite Yang’s horse before he got used to her. Maybe he was irritated by how small he was compared to Yang’s horse, just like her sometimes.

And when the small, brown horse allowed the red horse’s presence, Weiss felt herself relax. As the horses started to graze together, she turned her attention back to the sisters, seeing them taking place on the blanket, and in that moment, Yang looked up to her, waving her closer to join them. Taking a deep breath in to sooth her nerves, Weiss went to them, hoping she will make a good impression on her sister-in-law.

****

If Weiss thought Yang was sometimes vibrating with boundless energy and fidgeting and twitching to try and release some of it, Ruby was even worst. As soon as they stopped for more than a minute, Ruby would bounce, fidget, toy and touch whatever was withing reach, even the carving on the breastplate armor of Pyrrha, when they stopped to talk with her for a moment. While Ruby was completely flustered once she realised where her hand had been, Pyrrha was very gracious about it, even amused by the princess’ actions.

“I’m very very very sorry,” Ruby was muttering in Valese, and Pyrrha discreetly leaned towards Yang for the blonde to translate. “It’s just that at home the armor isn’t carved, or not nearly as prettily as this, but then again your armor is still super shiny but I can see it saw a lot of battles already and I was curious and-”

“It’s quite alright, your Highness,” the knight bowed at the waist in front of the princess. “There is no need for apology.”

“Ah, um, please don’t do that,” the princess nervously laughed, bringing a hand behind her head and rubbing uneasily. “It’s not necessary.”

Then, all the nervousness went away as Ruby gasped loudly, and a sudden gust of wind made Weiss blink in the residual trail of rose petals swirling in front of her, and she turned towards the excited squeal she could hear to her left. And when she did, Weiss couldn’t help but huff with a smile, seeing Ruby was shaking Blake’s hand with a _lot_ of energy.

“Thank you again for helping me find my sister!” Ruby was blabbering happily, entirely missing how she was nearly ripping Blake’s arm off with each shake. “I still don’t know how you came from nowhere, but I appreciate it nonetheless! You’re maybe the only one who understood what I was saying, but that’s fine, maybe I should have tried to learn a little Atlesian before coming here but I was so excited to-”

“Ruby,” Yang firmly but warmly interrupted, resting a hand on her sister’s arm to stop the hectic movement. “I’m sure Blake would like to keep her arm where it is.”

Instantly letting go, the princess smiled as her cheeks took a faint, rosy tint, shifting a little on her feet in embarrassment.

“Oh, uh, sorry, guess I got a little… carried away,” Ruby let out, her hand once again rubbing the back of her neck.

“It’s quite alright, your Highness,” Blake chuckled with a slight bow. “I heard that the princess of Vale was… energetic.”

“You can just call me Ruby,” the princess mumbled quietly.

“Then you can call me Blake.”

Offering a small, grateful smile to the spy, Ruby nodded once to Blake, happy to oblige, and with that, the princess turned to Weiss, finding once again some of her energy as she was slightly jumping on the balls of her feet.

“Dad told me once that most of the Dust we use comes from Atlas,” Ruby started, a glint in her eye. “Is it true?”

Arching her brows in surprise at the unexpected question, Weiss blinked for a second but dipped her head shortly, straightening her back with pride as her hands clasped together against the small of it.

“Indeed, it is,” she started solemnly, gesturing for Ruby to join her as she started to the nearest window, showing a portion of the land. “This land may look unhospitable from an outsider’s view, but there is a reason my predecessors founded Atlas. There are several veins of Dust under our feet along with everything else that we are already mining. Enough to keep the kingdom thriving despite the harsh weather.”

Looking out the window as they stopped in front of it, Weiss exhaled slowly as she observed the horizon, before lowering her eyes to look over the busy courtyard, seeing it still full of people coming and going even as the sun was setting.

“It is hard to live here,” Weiss admitted, earning the princess’ attention. “It is not for the faint of heart. But we are a people of steel and iron, and Dust has helped make our lives a little better for generations. But with that said,” she paused, turning to look at the princess with a smile. “I hope you enjoy your stay, and know that you will always be welcomed in my kingdom.”

A rather loud clear of throat sounded, and both Weiss and Ruby turned to it, looking up at Yang who had arched a single eyebrow, a small smirk on her lips.

“ _Our_ kingdom,” her wife reminded, Yang winking at her.

It made Weiss chuckle warmly as she dipped her head at her wife, feeling her heart beating just a little faster inside her chest as she brought a hand over it, bowing slightly to her.

“Ah, and right you are, my Queen.”

They locked their eyes together for a moment, both lost in their own world, until Ruby’s voice sounded again, earning both their attentions.

“I thought Atlas didn’t have titles per say,” the princess mused quietly, scratching her cheek with her forefinger, slightly confused. “Or at least, didn’t have kings and queens.”

“Ah,” Weiss let out, shifting a little on her feet as she felt a slight blush to her cheeks. “You are right, Atlas isn’t led by a king or queen. But, your sister would have gotten that title if she married someone of my status in Vale.”

“So…” Ruby trailed off, her features hardening slightly. “You call her that to remind her she’s an outsider.”

“Yes.”

As Weiss nodded, a soft smile to her lips, she noticed the increasingly hard lines of the princess’ face, clearly upset by her answer, and it made her pause for a second, shortly glancing at Yang, wondering what she had said or done to cause such obvious displeasure. Swiftly coming to her rescue, Yang sat a hand on her sister’s shoulder, chuckling quietly.

“I think Weiss didn’t understand what you meant, Ruby,” her wife softly let out, earning Ruby’s silver eyes to her. “She is still learning Valese.”

“What did I say?” Weiss asked, suddenly concerned. “Did I misuse a word, or-”

“Ruby asked if you were calling me Queen to be mean, and you said you did,” Yang explained calmly, but it still made Weiss gasp in horror, instantly bringing a hand to her mouth. “I know it’s not like that-”

“I would never!” She interrupted, glancing back and forth between Yang and Ruby. “I-I never meant disrespect, I refer to that title simply to remind you of home, out of reverence, because you left everything you knew to be here and I want you to know that I not only serve my kingdom, but I serve you, too, and-”

“Weiss-”

“You should have told me you did not want me to call you that!”

“I never said I didn’t like it,” Yang huffed, rolling her eyes, but the smile stayed on her lips. “I know it’s said with affection, Weiss. I don’t just like it; I love when you call me that.”

Closing her mouth dryly, Weiss stared at her wife with wide eyes, the words echoing in her ears as the meaning of them slowly sank in. Yang… loved when she called her queen? As their eyes met again, she could see in Yang’s lilac ones how earnest she was, if a bit shy.

Weiss was startled to realise it was the first time one of them used the word ‘love’ to the other. It made her… indescribably happy.

“Ugh, now I will think twice whenever you call Yang like that,” Blake’s grumbling suddenly wormed its way to her ear, and Weiss blinked, finally returning back on track.

Slowly, as if not to startle Yang, Weiss reached over to grasp Yang’s hand, glad that the blonde let her, and she brought her wife’s hand to her lips, pressing a kiss against the scarred knuckles she came to know so well over the months. In this moment, it was only the two of them, and as she held Yang’s stare, Weiss solemnly brought those same knuckles against her chest, over her heart. For Yang to know that she was at her most sincere.

“I would never do anything to mock or undermine you. Never. You are… very dear to me, Yang, and I… I would never do that to you.”

For a second, Yang only smiled, and soon she felt the blonde running a soothing thumb along her finger, and it made her relax with just that, not even surprised to see Yang close the distance between them to press a soft kiss to her forehead.

“I know,” was all Yang said against her skin, but it eased the tension that had taken residence between her shoulders.

As they slowly pulled away, Yang offering a parting squeeze to her hand, Weiss let out a sigh, releasing some of the nerves Ruby’s accusation had created, and feeling a lot more comfortable and in peace than moments ago, she turned to Ruby, who was attentively observing the interaction between her sister and Weiss.

Remembering their earlier conversation, an idea struck Weiss, and she perked up at it.

“Since you are interested in Dust, would you like to visit the nearby mine and smelting center? It has been a while since I went myself, so-”

“Really?!” Ruby interrupted her in a high-pitched squeal, bouncing up and down excitedly.

“It’s really not that exciting-”

“No way! Surely there’s some cool stuff going on! When can we go?”

Chuckling in front of the clear eagerness of the princess, Weiss glanced over to Yang, arching a brow, only to see her shrug, then to Blake, who did much the same thing.

“Tomorrow, perhaps?” Weiss finally proposed, returning her attention to the princess. “You just arrived from a long journey; I am sure that as much as you would like to go now, you still need to rest.”

Instantly, the excited princess deflated with a groan that managed to make her laugh quietly, and Yang stepped closer to her sister, already looping an arm around hers.

“How about I show you your room? We can have some proper sister time until dinner,” the blonde started, smiling at Ruby.

“That’s a great idea! Ooh, dinner! Is the food that different than at home? What are the customs? What about the castle? Is it similar to the one at home, or…”

As Ruby blabbered on about this and that, Yang sent a look over the princess’ head over to Weiss, one that was full of fondness and affection as she slowly shook her head at her sister’s antics.

“We will see you later,” the blonde said, her voice quiet, probably not to interrupt her sister.

“Of course,” Weiss dipped her head, a little chagrined to see them go. Then again, she had figured the sisters would like some time together, alone. “You know where to find me, if you need me.”

With one last wave, Yang nodded, and she watched them go, returning her hands to the small of her back with a little sigh, but her attention was drawn back when she felt a presence beside her, suddenly remembering that Blake had been there, too. Turning to her best friend, she saw that Blake was observing the sisters, as silently as she did.

Turning a little more to her spy, Weiss took a moment to look at her, enough for Blake to, eventually, look at her.

“Hi,” Weiss finally said, furrowing her brows. “I feel like it’s been a while since I last saw you.”

If anything, it made her spy chuckle, glancing one last time to where the sisters disappeared before returning her attention on Weiss, a small smile on her lips.

“Hi. You know how it is, quite busy around this time of year, so it _has_ been a while since we last saw each other.”

Humming quietly as she nodded, Weiss slowly started back to the throne room, delaying as much as possible the need to go to her duties, and Blake didn’t press her, instead following her pace as they walked in silence, for a moment.

“But surely you didn’t miss me much,” Blake continued, in a tone of voice that Weiss rarely heard from her best friend. “When you weren’t busy with your duties, you were with Yang.”

Stopping in her tracks and waiting for Blake to do the same, Weiss side-eyed her best friend, suspicious.

“Are you jealous that I’m spending time with my _wife_?”

“Of course not!” The spy scoffed, looking away with a sigh. “Besides, _I_ didn’t miss you much.”

“Oh?” Weiss couldn’t help but huff, starting her slow pace again. “You found someone else to pester since I wasn’t available?”

Sending her an unamused stare, Blake ignored the way she tried to wink at her and instead started walking beside her, for a moment silent, and Weiss waited patiently, knowing that Blake would eventually pursue her thoughts.

“A convoy from Vacuo arrived since last week. So…”

“Oh,” Weiss suddenly caught on, nodding. “So Sun is in town. How is he?”

“Fine, all things considered.”

“I see. Have you visited your own bed much, ever since he’s in town?”

“Why I want to talk to you, I will never understand…” Blake grumbled for only answer, her feline ears folding back in a sign of annoyance.

Still, it made Weiss laugh heartily and Blake sighed her annoyance away, and Weiss even spied a little smile in the corner of her best friend’s lips. As Blake then proceeded to tell her the news Sun had brought with him, she was content to spend time with her best friend, that her wife found her smile again, that Ruby seemed so interested in the kingdom, in her sister’s well being. Weiss was… happy.

She couldn’t remember a time when she truly was, or… or at least, as much as this.

And maybe Blake could see it, because the spy eyed her curiously for a moment, until she gave in and laughed, unbothered of everything for the moment.

“What?” Weiss asked with a smile, glad that Blake answered it immediately with one of her own.

“Nothing,” the spy chuckled, sharing in the peaceful moment. “You just look…”

“Happy?” Weiss offered, and Blake nodded, her eyes squinting a little. Blake was happy too. “Sometimes, I stop and take stock and… I can’t believe I made it this far, you know?”

Offering another warm smile, Blake gently looped an arm around Weiss’ shoulders, squeezing a little as she nuzzled the side of her head affectionately, and Weiss let her, stopping their slow walk for a moment.

“You deserve this, Weiss,” Blake murmured in her ear, rubbing the side of her head against her own, just like Blake always did when they were children. “I’m proud of who you’ve become, of where you are now. I don’t think I ever told you, but… I’m really proud of you.”

Swiftly turning her head and pressing her face against Blake’s shoulder, Weiss squeezed her eyes shut, hoping the prickling sensation in them would fade sooner rather than later as the words took some time to be processed, to be _acknowledged_ for what they were. She had hoped to do good in her life, as much as she could, but… for her best friend, the person that has been there for as long as she could remember, for her to tell her that she was _proud_ of where she was today…

“How dare you tell me that without any kind of warning…”

It made Blake laugh in her ear, but the spy only held her, as always firm and steady when Weiss needed it, and she looped her arms around the spy, hoping to return at least some of the affection directed at her.

****

The rest of the day came and went in a flash as Weiss prepared for their travel to Mantle the next day, for her long-overdue visit of the place. The reports she received every few weeks only told her that the mine, and the town surrounding it, were well and everything was fine, but Weiss liked to see for herself. It wasn’t far, maybe two-hours ride, but still. She didn’t know yet how much of the place Ruby would want to visit.

For once in a while, their meal was lively, for Ruby was retelling stories of her and Yang’s childhood, retelling the most mischievous pranks they had pulled, or how they had convinced all of the castle staff to help for a surprise for the king. Laughter and joy filled the room to the brim, and whenever Weiss looked over at her wife, she found her even more beautiful than the last, radiant in the echoes of their laughter.

That night, when they finally went to bed, Weiss surprised Yang it seemed when, after delicately, with tender touches and kisses to every inches of skin discovered, she helped the blonde with the laces of her dress, and even helped her put on her night shirt. Yang seemed even more surprised when she, gently, stopped her advances.

“I just want to hold you,” Weiss had murmured against Yang’s chest, her lips brushing the soft skin before she looked up, a momentary spike of anxiety making her unsure. “Unless you would prefer-”

“No,” Yang interrupted her with a kiss to her lips, soft and gentle enough to make her close her eyes in it. “This is perfect. My reward can always wait.”

Chasing after those soft, pink lips for another kiss, Weiss hummed as she cupped Yang’s cheek before taking her hand and guiding her to their bed, and she sighed contentedly when Yang’s head rested in the crook of her shoulder. Effortlessly, she could thread her fingers through those soft, blonde locks, and when Yang moved on her side to be more comfortable, she could feel the slow, powerful beating of her wife’s heart against her, soothing and reassuring.

She fell asleep soon after, with Yang’s heart beating against her own, as if it was a distant echo of it, with Yang’s scent filling her nose and her warmth all around her, lulling her to relaxed, restful sleep. She didn’t think she had slept so well before.

In the morning, she was woken up by a soft kiss to the hollow of her throat, then up her neck, then her cheek and finally her lips, making her hum quietly as she slowly came to. Yang was naturally an early riser, as much as Weiss hated it. What she would give just to stay in bed with Yang for five more minutes.

After a hearty, quick breakfast, they were on their way to Mantle, Weiss, Yang, Ruby and a reluctant Blake, after she had insisted for her to come along. And after Yang sent her a short glance, she knew that her wife knew why. Operation Matchmaker, as Yang had called it, would soon take place.

Still, Weiss had to bite her lip to keep her irritation in check whenever Ruby kept pointing out how small she was, since she was flanked by the sisters with their annoyingly tall horses.

She could hear Blake’s endless snickers, in the back.

Still, she had her revenge when they finally came closer to the gates of Mantle, unable to hide her smirk when, even with the distance, Blake straightened her back as the spy recognised one of the guards standing watch. Yang glanced her way again, and she could see the trepidation in them… Even if she could feel how Blake was glaring at the back of her head.

When they stopped by the gates, the guards saluted her briefly before one of them yelled for the gates to be opened, and Weiss turned her attention to the second guard, that seemed to do her best to avoid her stare.

“Ilia,” Weiss recalled, and she noticed how the guard shrunk a little at the sound of her voice. “Will you join us? I need someone to tell me what I’ve missed.”

“Yes, my liege,” the guard grumbled with the barest dip of her head, clearly reluctant, but she didn’t mind it. Ilia might hate her, but Weiss knew that if there was something wrong with the place, the guard wouldn’t think twice about telling her. “Let me fetch my horse.”

“Of course.”

As the guard left her post and made her way to the small stables just inside the gates, she heard the quiet hooves of an approaching horse, and didn’t need to look to see Blake’s ears flat on her head.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” The spy hissed in Atlesian, for Ruby not to hear, apparently.

“Nothing,” Weiss replied innocently. “Just taking us a guide.”

Blake only narrowed her eyes as the guard came back, and went to the back of the formation, as was protocol. As soon as Ilia stopped beside Blake, a frigid silence hovered over the group.

“Blake,” Ilia spoke sternly, not even sending the spy a look.

“Ilia.” Blake greeted her the same way, as both her and Ilia waited impatiently for this to be over with.

It made Weiss roll her eyes as she made the group move again, imperceptibly shaking her head. Oh well. She hadn’t expected for this to be easy. Blake could be very stubborn when she wanted to.

They rode in silence for several minutes, until Weiss noticed how Ruby perked up on her horse, alarmed.

“Is something burning?” The princess asked, her voice colored with concern as she pointed to the large, dark plume of smoke rising up to the sky, but Weiss shook her head with a smile.

“That would be the smelters.”

“Oh,” the princess relaxed back in her saddle, but perked up again. “But there’s so much smoke! How many do you have?”

“Six for iron, four for silver and five for copper. There are also several refineries, for steel and Dust. We have more forges and blacksmiths than we know what to do with.”

“Across the kingdom?”

“Oh, no. Only for Mantle.”

As Ruby turned to her, her eyes as wide as saucers, it managed to make Weiss, and even Blake laugh, and she heard the spy quietly translate the conversation to Ilia, who huffed with a roll of her eyes.

“Or we would, if you hadn’t shut down most of them.”

Frowning as she turned in her saddle to the guard behind her, Weiss eyed the woman for a second, searching at a moment in the past months, or even the past year, if she _did_ shut down smelters.

“I never did such a thing.”

A scoff answered her, and she glanced at Blake, who appeared as confused as her.

“Then maybe you should pay a visit to the man in charge,” the guard hissed, glaring at her. “Because he also reduced the pay in half for faunus people, which is more than half the town. Guards included. On _your_ orders.”

Stopping her horse at that, Weiss turned fully to the guard, anger pooling in the pit of her stomach. All the reports from Mantle had looked too good to be true, and at the time, with her life changed since the wedding, she had decided to trust them until Yang was settled, until she was comfortable in her position again. She should have known better.

“Where?”

“You can’t miss it. Biggest house in town, with a big, fat ‘Winchester Estate’ out front.”

“Estate?” This time, she could feel her blood boil in her veins, and a snarl twisted her lips as she turned to Yang, seeing the same anger in her eyes as she, too, understood the gravity of the situation. “You stay here. I will pay a visit to Winston.”

“Winston’s dead,” Ilia reported without any trace of compassion in her voice. “It’s Cardin that runs things, now. Or so he said you appointed him to.”

“I wouldn’t even let Cardin in charge of chickens,” she growled out, glancing to Blake, who understood instantly. “I sure as hell would never let him in charge of a whole mining town.”

Before any of them could say something more, Weiss heeled her horse, galloping deeper into town with Blake in tow. Since she hadn’t traveled with her full court, people recognised her only when they looked at her, and most of them stopped working altogether when she passed. It wasn’t long until she saw it; down the main road stood a large house, nothing short of a mansion.

It made her furious. She had trusted Winston; despite not entirely fond of employing faunus people, the man was bound by rules and respected them. Cardin never respected anything that didn’t go his way.

What made her even more furious was the sight of the soldiers guarding the estate. The same soldiers that were supposed to guard the other gates of the town. Cardin must have kept them on his payroll.

Surely he kept the real manifests somewhere in his home. If this was as bad as she thought it was…

Weiss was making her way on foot to the door, intent on ransacking the place until she found what she searched for, until one of the guards grabbed her by the arm, squeezing tightly.

“Hey, lady, you can’t come in here,” the guard, a boy that probably called himself a man because of the three hairs sprouting unevenly on his chin, barked at her.

Slowly turning her head to the impudent guard, her hand closed on the hilt of her rapier as she glared at him, feeling Blake close behind her.

“I go where I please,” she hissed, and it visibly surprised the boy. “Now, if you want to keep your hand at the end of your arm, I suggest you release me this instant.”

Another guard came from around the corner, lazily patrolling around the mansion it seemed, and as soon as he saw them, he jumped forward, slapping the boy on the back of the head and startling him enough for him to let go of her arm.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” The second guard, older, yelled at the boy, firmly gripping him by the collar and making them both bow deeply from the wait in front of her. “Deepest apologies, my liege. He is young, he did not recognise you. Please, forgive him.”

Relaxing the hand on her weapon, Weiss took a deep breath in as she stared the boy down, noticing how now, he sunk his head between his shoulders, just now realising his mistake. But she wasn’t _that_ ruthless.

“I will forgive you, if you open the door and go fetch Cardin, as I just heard he was the one in charge, now.”

“Yes, my liege!” The boy bowed again in front of her, before throwing himself at the door and scrambling to open it, then bowed again at her before running away towards the columns of smoke. Cardin was probably patrolling the smelters.

Still, as both her and Blake entered the mansion, Weiss lagged by the door as Blake instantly went to work, starting off in a light jog and going room to room to find something akin as an office or study, where Cardin must keep the manifests, but for her part Weiss turned to the old guard, who now stood by the door with his eyes cast down.

“You.” The guard jolted in place as if struck by lightning, before slowly turning to her, still avoiding her stare. “You look older. Did you work with Winston?”

“Yes, my liege.”

“When did he die?”

“A… few weeks before your wedding, my liege,” the guard sunk a little more it seemed. “Master Winchester told us you put him in charge in his father’s place.”

It made her scoff to hear this. And to think she had been so happy with her life the day before!

“‘Master’ Winchester, huh…”

“Weiss!”

Turning in synch to see Blake coming back her way, the spy was shaking her head at a book she kept paging through, and Weiss went to her, knowing that Blake had found what they needed.

“He’s siphoning the money to himself,” Blake huffed in disbelief, offering the book to her. “He cut pay on practically all the miners because most of them are faunus, but since there’s only a few smelters open…”

“He can control the work,” Weiss guessed. “People still need money to eat.”

“And he keeps the rest! Which would make him-”

“Incredibly rich,” she finished for her spy, eyeing the interior of the mansion. Some of the wood used for the furniture didn’t even look Atlesian. “This is…”

“An offence of the highest order,” Blake hissed, her feline ears flat against her scalp. “My people didn’t suffer enough? We have to endure this as well?”

“It doesn’t just concern the faunus, Blake. Though I share your opinion. Cardin falsified information, falsified our resources for _his_ benefit.”

“I also found a handful of letters with this,” Blake grumbled, pointing over her shoulder. “Apparently he’s selling some of the unrefined Dust crystals that were mined. Even unrefined, it’s still worth a fortune.”

“Hence the mansion.”

Sighing deeply as she gave back the book to Blake, Weiss made her way to one of the parlors, and fell in the comfortable chair there, not quite sure of what she should do. Still, she knew Cardin’s actions would not go unpunished.

“Would you mind making me some tea, Blake?”

****

It took some time for the young guard to come back from his task, and when he did, Cardin was in a foul mood, it seemed.

“First I have to deal with Robyn’s stupid riots and now this? Who in Remnant does this person think they are to ‘summon’ me?” They could hear the man grumbling as he made his way inside the mansion, but as soon as he entered the parlor, he stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes opened wide and his mouth gaping.

“Hello, Cardin,” Weiss greeted coldly from her plushy seat, swirling her cold tea in the cup as she could feel Blake, standing to her right, tensing dangerously. “I hear you’ve had quite a day.”

“Weiss,” Cardin finally shook himself from his surprise, his features sharp. “What are you doing here?”

“You will address our _Ruler_ with respect!” Blake growled, already reaching a hand up and over her shoulder, about to draw her weapon.

“I don’t need your input, filth,” Cardin spat at Blake, flashing a warning glare at her spy.

It was enough for Weiss to jump on her feet with her hand tightening on the hilt of her rapier, glaring daggers at this impudent man as her fingers twitched, hitching for blood.

“You will address me _and_ my second with respect, Cardin,” Weiss spoke clearly, her features sharpening. “You are found guilty of treason. I could have you executed right this instant, in your own house.”

As she raised her chin high, she saw in the corner of her eyes how Blake firmly held the hilt of her weapon, ready to draw it with the faintest signal on her part, but Cardin paled at her words, which… brought her some satisfaction.

Still, now that she had his undivided attention, she took a step closer, staring him down even though he was a good foot taller than her. As she did, there was nothing more she would like to do; to strike him down for his treason against her, against the kingdom, for his lies and tyranny over the good people of Mantle, but as much as his transgressions made her blood boil, Yang’s words echoed in her mind, somewhere between blind rage and rational thoughts.

_Killing should be an act of last resort._

As satisfying as it would be, executing Cardin would only give a brief satisfaction. No, what they wanted was to make him pay for what he did to the people. To the miners. She had an idea of what to do with him, as she knew his kind.

The worst she could do to him would be to make him watch as she destroyed everything he thought was his.

“But I will not,” she finally let out, her hand relaxing on the hilt of her rapier, and both Blake and Cardin stared at her in utmost surprise. “No, instead of executing you, you will serve the people you stole from.”

“What?” Cardin barked out in surprise, blinking.

“You will work the mines,” Weiss decided, walking past him. “At half the pay, of course. After all, _you_ were the one who thought it was enough to live with this.”

“But-”

“You will be kept in a cell when you are not working. You are, after all, under arrest.”

A sudden blast shook the ground, making her stumble as she was about to walk out the door, and the furniture shook as a distant chorus of voices and shouting could be heard outside.

“Argh! That must be Robyn and her rioters!”

Glancing at Blake and offering the tiniest nod, Blake wasted no time to hit Cardin to the back of his head, knocking him out cold.

“We’ll get back for him,” she told the spy, who was already tying his hands together behind his back.

“By the Gods,” one of the guards let out, just outside the doors. “The mine!”

Locking her eyes with Blake, they both jumped out the door to see a very large column of smoke a little ways up the road, and when they could see people running from it, Weiss felt her heart seize.

“You,” she pointed to the older guard. “Carry Cardin to jail. You, you come with me,” she ordered the youngest guard, both straightening their backs when called upon.

“Yes, my liege!” They both answered in unison as she jumped on her horse, quickly followed by Blake.

They made their way to the mine as quickly as they could, and when they did it was chaos. People were running everywhere, but amidst them she could discern a familiar face, near the mouth of the mine. By the looks of it, Yang, and several other guards and people, were keeping a wooden beam from breaking as miners were running out of the mine.

Jumping off her horse as she drew her rapier, Weiss spun the barrel to blue, and sent a column of ice to support the weak beam, surprising everyone at the bottom of it.

“What happened?” Weiss yelled over the noise to Yang, noticing Ruby not far from them helping miners to their feet when another tremor, stronger this time, shook the ground again.

“The mine, it’s unstable!” A woman with tied-up, blonde hair told her, and at a second glance Weiss recognised her as the one pestering Cardin. “I kept warning him, but he never listens! Dust is exploding inside the mine, and soon, it will collapse on the miners!”

“How many of them are inside?” Weiss was quick to ask, glancing around to see another string of people running out of it, coughing.

“I don’t know, fifty, maybe more!”

Another tremor shook the ground, and this time the ice cracked, and a few rocks were dislodged from the ceiling of the tunnel, and Weiss could see the cracks forming along the other wooden beam. As Blake and Yang encouraged the miners to leave, Weiss sent another wave of ice to help keep it together, hoping it would be enough.

They could see, far down the tunnel of the mine, another group coming, larger, probably the ones that were deeper in the tunnels judging by the soot and burns on them, but they were still far from the entrance. They were slow, too; several of them were limping.

An explosion near the group of miners shook the mine again, the breath of it knocking them all to the ground and breaking the ice over the beams, and Weiss saw them snap just as she ran inside the mine, ignoring the worried call of Blake behind her.

Just as the ceiling crumbled and would have buried them alive, Weiss summoned a large, larger than she had ever created, glyph to hold the ceiling in place, the strain so immense that it made her groan with effort.

“Out!” She managed to yell at the miners, that were staring at her with wide eyes. “Now!”

As they hurried closer, several tremors shook the tunnels, and the pressure was even greater on her glyph, on her shoulders. Her head was pounding in her ears, covering all the other noise around her, and just as she was about to slowly back away to the mouth of the cave, she could see another cluster of miners coming from the tunnels.

“Hurry!” She shouted at them, her glyph faltering for a second before reforming in a smaller one, making several rocks and small boulders fall near her. “I can’t… hold it much longer…”

With another groan as the pressure kept climbing, her head felt like it was stuck in a vice that only kept tightening, she fell to a knee, letting go of her rapier to instead raise them to support her glyph.

She felt the ground shaking under her, deaf to the world beside her pounding heart, she had to blink several times when her vision started to blur, but she could see with relief the miners nearly to her. They must have been the last ones; behind them, nothing but darkness.

She had figured she would make her way back with them, to safely get out of the mine, but the weight on her shoulders kept her from moving, and now, it pressed down her chest, keeping her from breathing properly. Looking up at her glyph, Weiss knew that if she relented for even a second, both her and the miners would be buried alive.

Familiar voices screaming her name finally wormed their way to her ears, and slowly, as to not disturb the great weight she was holding up, she turned to it, blinking slowly to clear her vision as she could see Yang and Blake, gesturing widely for her to leave the mine.

Something warm and wet was on her face, painting her lips, and sparing a second, she wiped the back of her hand over her mouth, and realised without surprise it was covered with blood.

It was a pressure too great, she should have known that. But if she had done nothing, those miners would be dead right now. And she knew now, that she wouldn’t be able to get out.

Trading the rest of her Aura to keep her glyph in place for a couple more seconds as the miners slowly made their way out, Weiss swallowed thickly as she looked up and over to Blake and Yang, seeing instantly their expression changing when they both saw her Aura breaking.

They knew now that she wouldn’t leave the mine.

Distantly, as if she was seeing through someone else’s eyes, she saw how Blake held Yang back, heard, even though it was muffled how she screamed her name, and to see her beautiful face twisted like this, her eyes wet with tears made her heart bleed, but it made her smile, laughing quietly, weakly.

Yang loved her too.

“Yang,” Weiss let out as loud as she could, and if Yang didn’t hear, the way Blake’s feline ears perked up and flicked in her direction was enough of an answer that at least, Blake heard her. “You… made me so happy, even if we were together for a small amount of time. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, and… I hope I made you happy, too. I wish… I wish we had more time…”

Her glyph flickered again over her head, and a rain of debris fell around her, and she had to press a hand to the ground to keep her from falling to it, shaking her head to keep her focus, noticing that the miners were nearly out.

She just had to hang on for a handful more seconds.

“I love you,” she breathed, closing her eyes when the miners were just past the mouth of the cave.

As soon as she did, it was as if time itself paused for a second, and as suddenly the smell of roses filled her nose and was, admittedly, immensely strange in a mine, Weiss opened her eyes one for a second, in the hopes of seeing Yang one last time.

Her glyph faded to nothing and the ceiling she had been holding up was falling, but her vision was filled with rose petals, and just as she let the darkness take her away, she was chagrined that Yang wasn’t her last sight.

****

She came to slowly, even more surprised that she did at all. She had hoped, if this was the afterlife, for it to be painless, but unfortunately her whole being throbbed in synch with her heart beating, and for a moment, she wondered what it meant. Her head felt about to split in half, and her whole being was sore, the simple thought of moving a muscle abandoned in an instant.

Still, after some time, she tried opening her eyes, tried to lift the fog clogging her head, weighing her down and filled her ears with cotton. She wanted to see this ‘afterlife’, hoping it would at least get better in time.

But when she finally did manage to open her eyes, fluttering them open after a great deal of effort, she was disappointed to see her surroundings so dark, and she blinked again, trying to focus her vision.

Slowly, her surroundings registered in her mind as familiar as she recognised the hearth in front of her, across the room. Recognised slowly the bed she was laying on. Then, turning her head to the left, recognised the window there, with the soft, pale light of the moon trickling in and pooling on the empty space beside her.

That fact rattled her for some reason. She had spent years sleeping alone, she was used to see the empty spot in her bed, so why did it bother her so much now?

Turning her head to the right, she felt her heart pick up the pace suddenly as she could see someone sitting on a chair, right by her side, and when she managed to close her hand, felt their fingers intertwined.

It took some effort, but suddenly, the events that had transpired flooded back to her, and she squeezed the fingers between hers with renewed fervor, her eyes prickling as she felt them filling with tears when one long, blonde strand of hair fell into the moonlight as the woman sitting uncomfortably in the chair slowly woke up.

She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time when she realised that this wasn’t the afterlife, but that in fact, she was somehow still alive. And she was glad to see Yang, that had been softly smiling at her after waking up, take a second to register that Weiss _was awake and was looking at her_ finally perk up with alarm, grasping her hand with both of hers as she all but fell to her knees beside the bed.

Weiss frowned slightly at the sight of tears in her wife’s gorgeous eyes, but said nothing as Yang smiled through them, repeatedly kissing the back of her hand with a wet laugh that made her chuckle breathlessly. Then, Yang pressed the back of Weiss’ hand against her cheek as she ran a thumb over her knuckles, soothing.

“I thought I lost you,” the blonde let out, her voice incredibly soft and quiet in the dark.

“I could say the same,” Weiss croaked out, grimacing shortly before clearing her throat.

“Do you want water?”

Wincing as she swallowed, Weiss nodded, chagrined that Yang had to let go of her hand to pour water in the mug the sat waiting on the bedside table, and she let her wife help her drink it, her arms not even strong enough to lift off the bed alone.

After her drink, Yang puffed the pillows under her head, making them comfier, and as soon as she sat in the chair Weiss felt her heart beating a little faster when Yang’s hand instantly found hers, sliding her fingers between hers. For a moment Weiss was content to simply look at Yang and her wife seemed content to do the same, but she had to know.

“What happened?” Weiss asked in a murmur, feeling weary already. “I thought… I thought I died.”

With a quiet sigh, Yang brought Weiss’ hand to her lips and pressed a soft kiss to the back of it, taking a second to nuzzle it.

“Ruby used her Semblance to get you out. I… I can’t stop thinking about what might have happened if she hadn’t been there…”

“Is she alright?” Weiss asked, concern making her try to sit up.

“Yes, she’s alright,” Yang reassured her, setting a warm hand on her shoulder to settle her back down. “She was just tired; she had to use a lot of her energy to go as fast as she did.”

“Oh… the miners? Is everyone out?”

“Yes, all accounted for. Several are injured from the blasts that happened inside the mine, but it’s nothing that won’t heal.”

“Good. Good.”

“I let Robyn take charge of Mantle until you decided who should replace Cardin,” Yang informed, still running her thumb across the back of her hand. “Blake explained what happened with him.”

“Hm.”

“I actually wanted to talk to you about this, I mean, I don’t know if you had someone else in mind, but I think Robyn is a good idea for Mantle, and-”

“I trust your judgment,” Weiss interrupted quietly, closing her eyes. “If you think it is for the best, then I approve.”

Nodding, Yang once again took her hand in both of hers, restlessly running her thumbs across the back of it, over her knuckles, along her fingers, and it was the subtle trembling in the gestures that made Weiss open her eyes again to look at her wife, seeing her staring at her hand as her thumbs never relented.

She could see the tiniest crinkle between her wife’s blonde brows, and she knew it meant Yang was downplaying her worry. That crinkle was the only telling sign of Yang trying to hide something from her.

So Weiss managed to capture one of Yang’s thumbs as it came back along her finger, and it caught the blonde’s attention as Yang looked up at her, and even if she only wanted to fall back to sleep and she was barely able to keep her eyes open, she fought against her weariness for a moment more, blinking slowly when their eyes met.

“Are you alright?” She murmured, concern coloring her voice and making her brows furrow slightly.

The question instantly made Yang’s chin wobble, and the blonde’s features scrunched up as she brought Weiss’ hand to her lips again, pressing kiss after kiss against it, even if Weiss could feel the warm teardrops that fell on it.

“I just… I really thought I lost you,” Yang finally let out in a high-pitched, strangled voice. “I-I was… so afraid that you stayed in there when it collapsed, I didn’t know Ruby got you out, I started digging and I couldn’t believe you were gone, and I-”

Gathering her strength, Weiss winced when she felt her tired muscles protesting but she slipped her hand from Yang’s, instead moving it to her wife’s cheek as it visibly shook with effort, but once she cupped Yang’s cheek, she wiped the tears away, smiling a little when the blonde leaned into the touch, closing her eyes.

“I’m still here,” was the only thing she found to say.

Still, Yang chuckled breathlessly, pressing her hand over hers as she nuzzled her palm, and Weiss blinked slowly, letting the weariness she felt in her entire being slowly take her, and Yang surely saw it in her eyes because, with the utmost care, she returned her hand to the bed, almost reluctantly.

“Get some rest,” her wife murmured, thoughtfully covering her a little more with the blankets. “I won’t go anywhere.”

“You need rest too,” Weiss let out, but her eyes closed without her consent. “There’s enough space for the both of us. Besides, it’s your bed too.”

With a faint chuckle, Weiss heard Yang move about the bed, and she was infinitely glad when she felt it dip beside her, releasing a little sigh when she felt her wife snuggle close to her, sharing her warmth, and after a second of hesitation Yang shifted closer, settling her head in the crook of Weiss’ shoulder. Glad for the closeness, Weiss turned her head towards her wife, nuzzling her blonde hair with a satisfied sigh.

Once again, Weiss could feel Yang’s heart echoing against her own, and in this moment, everything was right in the world. What she would willingly give to stay right here like this, with Yang close to her.

And just as she was about to fall asleep, she felt Yang shift against her, right before she felt soft lips pressing against her neck, right where her pulse was.

“I love you too.”

A soft smile graced her lips, and without opening her eyes, she reached for Yang’s hand, blindly searching for it and when she did, she brought it over her heart, pressing her hand over hers.

“I know,” was all she was able to say, before consciousness slipped from her.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm still not sure if I will write another chapter for this. I want to, of course, but I'm really struggling with my writting, and this is already a wonder that I was able to write nearly 20k words for this, so... I will mark it as complete, and if I do write another chapter, I'll just add it.
> 
> Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! <3


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